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EXPLORING  EXPEDITION. 


CORRESPONDENCE 

Between  J.  N.  Reynolds  and  the  Hon.  Mahlon  Dickerson,  under 
the  respective  signatures  of  "  Citizen"  and  "  Friend  to  the  Navy," 
touching  the  South  Sea  Surveying  and  Exploring  Expedition ;  wherein 
the  objects  of  the  enterprise,  and  the  causes  which  have  delayed  its  de- 
parture, are  canvassed.  Originally  published  in  the  "  New-York  Times" 
of  July,  August,  and  September,  1837,  and  in  the  "  New-York  Courier 
and  Enquirer"  of  December  and  January,  1837-38. 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


LETTERS,   &c. 
I. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 

In  my  opinion  you  hold  one  of  the  most  important  stations  in 
this  or  in  any  other  country.  To  fill  it,  a  man  should  know  all 
that  is  known  of  the  seas,  continents,  and  islands  in  the  world. 
He  should  be  acquainted  with  their  commerce,  their  products,  and 
with  the  character  of  their  population.  There  have  been  men  of 
mind  in  the  office  you  now  fill,  who  knew  their  deficiencies  in 
these  matters,  and  nobly  laboured  to  induce  the  nation  to  permit 
them  to  take  the  proper  means  to  obtain  this  information  for  the 
benefit  of  the  people  and  the  department  which  they  filled.  You 
have  succeeded  them  ;  and,  permit  me  to  ask,  what  have  you  done 
to  carry  out  their  plans,  or  to  propose  new  ones  calculated  to  in- 
fuse a  proper  tone  and  feeling  in  the  service  over  which*  you  pre- 
side ?  I  shall  speak  plainly  in  these  letters  which  I  am  about  to 
address  to  you.  I  take  no  pleasure  in  the  task,  but  feel  it  an  im- 
perative duty  10  do  so.  This  is  my  prerogative  as  a  native  citizen 
of  this  country.  The  official  acts  of  a  public  functionary  may  be 
fully  canvassed  by  the  humblest  citizen;  and  while  he  confines 
himself  to  truth,  and  to  the  use  of  courteous  and  gentlemanly  lan- 
guage, no  merited  censure  can  be  charged  to  him.  My  feelings 
and  my  fame  are  identified  with  the  glory  of  our  arts,  our  arms, 
and  our  means  of  defence  as  much  as  yours  or  those  of  any  other 
citizen,  for  these  things  belong  to  the  whole  country. 

As  far  as  our  commerce  and  our  navy  are  concerned,  these  are, 
for  good  or  for  evil,  intrusted  to  you,  and  for  the  influence  you 
exercise  upon  them  you  must  be  answerable  at  the  bar  of  public 
opinion  ;  that  tribunal  which,  sooner  or  later,  will  do  justice  to  the 
wronged,  however  humble,  and  cover,  with  its  deepest  denuncia- 
tions, the  unfaithful,  however  high  in  station  ! 

In  the  freedom  of  my  soul,  I  must  say  I  have  long  doubted 


4  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

vour  capacity  for  the  liich  otlice  you  liold  ;  and  I  liave  often  won- 
dered you  did  not  gralifv  llie  whole  conimunilv  by  retiring  from 
duties  you  must  find  so  ditlicult  to  ])crform,  l)v  seeking  that  re- 
pose and  quiet  generally  so  grateful  to  man  in  the  ninth  septen- 
nial of  liuman  life. 

I  never  heard  a  sentence  from  your  lips,  or  read  a  paragraph 
from  your  })cn,  that  gave  me  the  impression  that  the  compass  of 
your  mind,  on  public  measures,  was  not  better  adapted  to  razee 
or  to  cut  down  than  to  hmld  vp  and  adorn  I  Still  I  tliought  that 
you  would  adhere  strictly  to  the  discharge  of  your  duties,  particu- 
larly where  the  responsil)illtv  of  devising  was  taken  from  vour 
shoulders,  and  rested  in  other  (juarlers  able  to  bear  it ;  but  in  this 
I  was  unfortunately  disappointed. 

When  you  came  into  office,  if  you  had  looked  over  the  files  of 
papers  in  the  dcjvirlmcnt,  you  must  have  known  that,  ten  years 
ago,  as  you  liave  said,  in  the  days  of  Madison,  a  plan  was  devised 
for  an  expedition  to  the  8oulh  Seas  ;  that  memorials,  petitions, 
and  representations  had  come  into  Congress  from  all  quarters,  and 
seized  slrongly  upon  the  attention  of  the  enlightened  members  of 
that  body,  and  that  steps  had  been  taken  by  them  for  such  an  un- 
dertaking. If  the  plan  suggested  was,  from  many  circumstances, 
suffered  to  sleep  a  while,  you  know  it  was  revived  with  fresh  ar- 
dour in  Congress,  and  acts  passed  for  carrvincj  the  project  forth- 
with into  effect. 

Your  opposition  to  such  an  expedition  was,  I  confess,  undis- 
guised. During  the  sessions  of  1834  and  5  you  were  opposed 
to  it  in  every  shape  and  form  ;  when  the  bill  passed  the  Senate, 
you  did  all  in  your  power  to  liave  it  defeated  in  the  house;  rec- 
ommending to  members — *'  Strike  it  out,  strike  it  out  !" 

But  you  often  declared  that  you  shotild  feel  under  obligations 
to  carry  into  effect  whatever  Congress  determined  in  regard  to 
the  subject.  Have  you  done  il  ?  Are  you  doing  it  ?  Tliesc  are 
qucBtions  I  have  a  right  to  ask  ;  and  they  may  be  asked  by  an  au- 
ihoriiv  which  will  require  an  an.wcr  ' 

More  than  a  year  ago  the  expediiion  was  .luthDnzcd,  and  tho 
navy  commissioners  stated  in  their  rejiort  to  the  president  in 
Januarv',  lH3f>,  that  the  Macedonian  could  be  got  n'ady  for  sea  in 
ninety  days ;  and  how  is  it  that  she  is  now  only  ready  to  receiv© 
her  men  in  June,  ltt37  ? 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  5 

Twelve  months  and  more  have  elapsed,  and  the  expedition 
still  lingers,  while  the  prospect  of  its  departure  seems  to  recede 
from  the  vision  of  the  public.  Was  this  delay  for  want  of  energy 
or  from  want  of  friendly  disposition  ?  The  account  of  the  expe- 
dition aroused  the  maritime  powers,  who  were  determined  that 
this  youthful  nation  should  not  run  away  with  all  the  glories  of 
discovery  and  examination  ;  and  while  you  have  been  weighing, 
and  pondering,  and  devising  means  for  delay  and  seeking  for 
causes  for  procrastinating  the  whole  enterprise,  the  French  gov- 
ernment has  fitted  out  three  expeditions  into  the  South  Seas  ;  and 
with  each  a  frigate — ay,  a  frigate — a  machine  so  ponderous  and 
ingulfing  to  your  imagination  !  These  well-equipped  expedi- 
tions have  moved  to  their  destinations  for  the  protection  of  com- 
merce, for  the  security  and  defence  of  their  fisheries,  and  for 
scientific  purposes  ;  and  even  a  fourth  is  in  a  state  of  forwardness 
for  the  same  noble  purposes. 

Why  are  we  not  then  before  them  ?  Congress  made  the  most 
ample  provisions  for  the  expedition.  The  people  ask,  and  I  as 
one  of  them,  what  under  heaven  has  been  the  cause  of  this  pro- 
crastination ?  Will  the  energetic  people  of  this  country,  who,  in 
1797,  when  we  were  insulted  by  the  French  directory,  spread 
over  the  forests  of  our  country,  bowed  the  oak  beneath  the  axe, 
built  sloops  of  war,  armed  and  manned  them,  and  in  less  than  a 
hundred  days  from  the  orders  given  to  build  were  pouring  their 
thunders  into  the  French  cruisers  among  the  West  Indian  Islands; 
can  these  men  and  their  descendants  brook  such  a  delay  with- 
out inquiry  ? 

But,  for  the  present,  I  will  not  pursue  this  inquiry  farther. 
You,  under  the  specious  appearance  of  sincerity,  opened  a  cor- 
respondence with  some  of  our  learned  societies,  asked  them  to 
recommend  suitable  persons  to  form  a  scientific  corps,  which  the 
executive  determined  should  accompany  the  expedition.  Gen- 
tlemen were  recommended  and  selected  ;  men  sharing  largely  in 
the  confidence  of  men  of  science,  and  burning  to  distinguish 
themselves  in  their  departments. 

I  have  heard  it  intimated  that  you  had  some  pretensions  to  sci- 
ence, and  that  you  were  a  member  of  the  philosophical  society. 
From  that  circumstance  I  should  have  expected  that  you  would 
deal  out  a  different  measure  of  justice  to  the  members  of  the  scien- 


6  LETTER8    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

lific  corps.  Why  have  they  not  been  called  together,  and  their  du- 
ties assigned  them,  and  facilities  given  for  the  various  and  extensive 
preparations  necessary  for  their  respective  departments,  in  pursu- 
ance of  the  written  request  or  order  of  the  late  energetic  executive, 
under  date  of  P'ebruary  25th  last  ?  No  one  knows  better  than  you 
that  the  late  executive  was  fully  resolved  that  the  expedition,  both 
in  its  civil  and  naval  departments,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  should 
go  to  sea  wanting  in  nothing  that  could  tend  to  promote  its  ultimate 
object  and  triumphant  success.  It  never  occurred  to  his  lofty  and 
indomitable  spirit  that  petty  excuses  would  be  made  by  any  offi- 
cer of  his  for  delays  in  a  great  undertaking  ;  nor  did  he  wish  that 
the  scientific  corps  should  be  sent  on  board  at  the  hour  of  sailing 
like  a  guard  of  marines.  Of  his  share  in  this  expedition  I  shall 
hereafter  have  occasion  to  speak.  You  cannot  soon  forget  it,  nor 
the  manner  in  which  he  used  to  stir  you  up,  as  you  have  often 
complained  of  what  he  made  you  do.  Well  do  you  know  that 
even  in  sickness  he  did  not  lose  sight  of  the  expedition;  and,  had 
his  wishes  been  complied  wiih,  ihe  expedition  would  now  be  doub- 
ling the  cape,  and  every  one  engaged  in  the  enterprise  full  of 
hopes  of  having  immediate  opportunities  of  fulfilling  their  coun- 
try's expecl  aliens. 

I  shnll  reserve  many  things  for  future  consideration,  and  now 
pass  to  your  last  attempt  to  strangle  the  expedition.  Now%  at  the 
eleventh  hour  of  the  thirteenth  moon  of  the  expedition,  a  new  de- 
vice is  got  up  by  vou,  if  not  to  destroy  it  altogether,/©?-  tliat  you 
cannot  do,  yet  to  cut  it  down,  derange  its  plans,  and  thereby  ren- 
der it  inadequate  to  meet  the  expectations  of  Congress,  of  the  late 
executive,  and  of  the  whole  country. 

You  liavc  now  appointed  a  board  of  naval  officers,  consisting  of 
Commodores  Chauncey,  Morris,  Warrington,  Patterson,  and  Wads- 
worth,  to  assist  you  in  making  up  your  mind  on  the  proper  means 
rerjuisilc  for  the  exploring  expedition.  Those  are  all  honourable 
men,  whose  merits  and  virtues  have  been  tried  and  found  true  and 
trusty  in  days  gone  by  ;  and  a  most  ungracious  duty  have  you  as- 
signed them.  Deceive  not  yourself,  sir,  the  intelligence,  the  spirit, 
and  pride  of  the  coimtrv  have- been  awakened  upon  this  subject, 
and  will  not  sleep  again;  and  long,  and  deep,  and  withering  will  be 
the  denunciations  against  the  man  or  men  who  shall  lay  Vandal 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN  7 

hands  upon  this  enterprise,  in  the  success  of  which  the  honour  of 
our  country  is  so  deeply  concerned. 

But,  sir,  have  you  presented  the  whole  case  to  this  board  in  a 
proper  light  ?  I  fear  not.  I  have  been  informed,  from  good  au- 
thority, that  the  whole  case  has  not  been  presented  to  them  by 
your  instructions.  For  what  was  this  board  instituted  (stripped 
of  all  disguise)  but  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  deliberate  opinions 
of  the  people  of  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled  ?  Will 
these  officers  thank  you  for  such  an  unenviable  office  ?  It  will 
be  seen,  if  they  are  ready  to  say,  that  Congress  knew  nothing  of 
the  subject,  and  that  the  force  authorized  by  that  body,  and  deemed 
necessary  by  President  Jackson,  after  he  had  examined  more 
thoroughly  into  the  objects  of  the  expedition  than  you  have  ever 
done,  was  too  large  for  the  attainments  of  the  objects  proposed. 

Had  the  duties  of  this  board  been  confined  to  subjects  relating 
to  naval  matters,  to  the  examination  of  the  vessels,  for  instance, 
there  would  have  been  no  complaint ;  but  you  have  asked  them  to 
revise  the  act  under  which  you  have  proceeded.  Every  one  knows 
that  the  force  to  be  employed  on  any  enterprise  must  depend  en- 
tirely upon  the  objects  to  be  accomplished  by  it.  Had  you  given 
this  board  instructions,  fully  and  fairly  setting  forth  the  great  la- 
bours the  expedition  was  expected  to  perform,  which  have  been 
so  clearly  set  forth  in  the  proceedings  of  Congress  that  he  who 
runs  may  read,  the  country  would  have  had  no  fears  of  their  re- 
ducing the  force  provided  and  deemed  indispensable  by  the  friends 
of  the  expedition  ;  but,  if  confined  to  your  limited  instructions, 
that  board  can  only  take  a  partial  view  of  the  subject,  and,  of 
course,  give  you  but  a  partial  answer. 

If  there  be  any  member  on  that  board  who  thinks  the  present 
force  is  unnecessary  for  all  the  great  purposes  contemplated  by 
Congress  and  the  friends  of  the  measure,  the  public  would  be 
much  indebted  to  him  for  a  programme  of  his  views  ;  I  am  no 
advocate  for  a  redundant  and  proud  equipment,  and,  for  one,  should 
be  glad  to  see  them. 

But,  in  sober  truth,  what  instructions  have  you  given  this  board  ? 
"Will  you  tell  the  public  the  whole  story,  and  let  the  Senate,  and 
House  of  Representatives,  and  the  friends  of  the  expedition  become 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  your  views  ?  Perhaps  this  would 
be  asking  too  much ;  but,  certainly,  in  this  case  you  are  bound  to 


19  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

furnish  us  with  all  your  doings  fairly  and  above-board.  Secrecy 
is  unworthy  of  you  and  the  station  you  occupy.  You  have  in- 
structed this  board  in  such  a  manner  as  to  shackle  their  opinions, 
if  I  am  not  grossly  deceived.  Is  it  not  something  in  this  con- 
tracted form  ? 

"  The  objects  of  the  eocpedition  are  to  explore  the  seas  of  the 
Southern  Hemisphere,  more  particularly  in  high  latitudes,  and 
in  regions  as  near  to  the  South  Pole  as  may  be  approached  with- 
out danger ;  to  make,  in  the  regions  thus  to  be  explored,  all  prac- 
ticable surveys  and  observations,  ivith  accurate  desci'iptions  of 
the  same,  so  far  as  they  may  be  connected  with  the  geography  or 
hydrography  by  which  the  interests  of  commerce  and.  navigation 
may  be  promoted r  Perhaps  you  may  have  dropped  a  word  about 
science  at  the  close,  and  intimated  that  the  vessels  might,  during 
the  cruise,  go  north  of  the  line,  though  for  what  purpose  you  do 
not  say. 

This,  if  I  am  not  misinformed,  is  the  breadth,  and  length,  and 
allilude  of  your  instructions,  if  not  the  very  words. 

Why  did  you  forget — no,  why  did  you  omit  the  major  part  of 
your  subject  ?  the  great  commercial  inicresls  among  the  islands 
of  the  Pacific,  and  the  thousand  ways  in  which  those  noble  inter- 
ests might  be  examined,  extended,  and  secured  by  this  expedition  ? 
Have  not  the  memorials  from  Nantucket,  New-Bedford,  New- 
London,  Salem,  and  other  great  commercial  places,  given  you  any 
light  upon  the  subject  ?  Have  they  not,  "  in  thoughts  that  breathe 
and.  words  that  burn,^'  told  you,  through  Congress,  the  difficulties, 
the  dangers  our  fisheries  have  to  encounter  in  those  seas  ?  Have 
they  not,  in  the  deep  impassioned  feeling  of  their  hearts,  implored 
their  country  to  look  after  their  brethren  in  bondage  on  desolate 
or  savage  islands?  And  you,  in  your  instructions  to  this  gallant 
board,  have  mentioned  but  little  more  than  the  object  of  getting  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  South  Pole,  and  fhrrc  to  niahe  surveys  for 
the  benefit  of  commerce  !  Tliis  same  plan  of  misrepresenting  the 
objects  of  the  expedition  was  tried  by  its  o])ponents  last  winter 
before  Congress,  and  failed.  Do  you  expect  to  be  more  successful 
in  urging  the  satiie  plea  Ix^foro  this  board  ?  I  am  not  done  with 
this  point  yet.  Every  friend  to  the  expedition  can  bear  witness 
that  you  have  misrepresentrd  his  wishes  in  regard  to  the  whole 
enterprise.     In  what  light  do  you  place  the  merchants  and  others 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  9 

who  have  addressed  Congress  on  this  subject,  and  how  do  you 
treat  the  members  of  that  body  who  voted  for  the  expedition,  by 
stating  that  the  things  you  mentioned  to  the  board  of  officers  were 
the  great  objects  of  their  solicitude  and  protection.  Did  you  sup- 
pose, when  you  penned  those  instructions,  that  you  were  comph- 
menting  the  late  executive  by  saying  that  the  object  of  the  expe- 
dition was  to  go  as  near  to  the  South  Pole  as  possible,  and  that, 
for  that  purpose,  he  had  been  so  unacquainted  with  his  duties  as 
to  assign  the  present  force.  I  do  you  no  injustice  ;  such  is  the 
plain  interpretation  of  your  acts.  The  decisions  of  that  execu- 
tive have  been  universally  approved  by  the  friends  of  the  expedi- 
tion ;  its  enemies  alone  are  hawking  at  it,  wishing  to  derange  and 
alter  what  they  have  not  the  power  entirely  to  destroy.  You  re- 
spected, or  affected  to  respect,  that  distinguished  man's  opinions 
when  he  was  in  power.  Have  you  forgotten  him  and  his  opin- 
ions in  the  short  period  of  four  little  months  ? 

I  have  now  stated  a  few  outlines  of  the  case,  simply  that  the 
people  may  inquire  of  your  doings,  or  your  undoings,  or  your 
nondoings !  It  is  with  your  acts  I  am  engaged  ;  with  your  mo- 
tives I  have  nothing  to  do.  I  leave  them  to  the  conjectures  of  the 
public,  and  to  the  depths  of  your  own  bosom. 

If  you,  by  the  management  you  have  adopted,  can  draw  from 
the  board  you  have  appointed  such  a  report  as  will  suit  your  views, 
and  be  made  the  pretext  for  cutting  down  the  expedition,  you  will 
know  that  such  a  course  will  not  justify  your  conduct  at  the  public 
tribunal  to  which  I  have  summoned  you,  and  intend  to  hold  you, 
until  you  have  put  in  your  plea  of  justification  and  ventured  the 
issue  upon  it.  I  am  but  a  citizen,  holding  no  office  of  honour,  but 
I  know  my  rights,  and,  knowing,  "  dare  maintain  them."  I,  as  a 
citizen,  have,  by  the  constitution,  the  privilege  to  call  your  atten- 
tion to  your  duties.  This  is  a  writ  of  right,  I  ask  no  leave  of 
court  for  filing  it ;  and  shall  fear  no  authority  in  pursuing  my  own 
course  in  the  premises.  The  high  hopes  and  deep  solicitude  of 
the  nation  have  been  trifled  with  by  you  alone  ;  every  other  pub- 
lic functionary  has  given  his  consent,  or  been  silent.  Do  you 
aspire  to  the  enviable  fame  of  having  thwarted  the  nation  in  a 
plan  for  its  benefit  and  distinction  ?  If  you  do,  you  may  go  down 
to  posterity  with  all  the  honours  you  deserve. 

I  have  said  your  instructions  to  the  board  were  a  perversion  of 

B 


10  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

the  great  objects  of  the  expedition  ;  that  you  had  brought  before 
them  but  a  partial  view  of  the  subject ;  and  in  my  next  letters  I 
shall  proceed  to  prove  them  so. 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

New-York,  June  29,  1837. 


II. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 

You  will  remember  the  conclusion  of  my  last  number.  It  was 
there  intimated  that  your  instructions  to  the  naval  board  did  not 
convey  an  impartial  and  just  view  of  the  great  objects  of  the  ex- 
pedition. I  promised  that  in  my  next  I  would  prove  my  asser- 
tion, and  shall  proceed  to  do  so. 

Fortunately  for  my  purpose,  there  are  ample  records  which 
bear  directly  and  luminously  upon  the  point  at  issue.  To  these 
documents  I  shall  mainly  confine  myself;  because,  being  official 
and  on  file  in  the  naval  department,  you  can  have  access  lo  ihem 
at  any  moment,  and  can  therefore  the  more  easily  judge  of  the 
fairness  of  the  testimony  I  shall  extract  from  them.  No  one,  sir, 
can  turn  over  the  pages  of  these  documents  and  fail  to  be  at  once 
convinced,  even  against  his  will,  that  the  whole  action  of  Congress 
has  been  based  upon  memorials  from  various  sections  of  the 
country,  and  more  especially  from  that  portion  occupied  by  our 
fellow-citizens  interested  in  the  whale-fishciy,  and  the  multifarious 
traffic  carried  on  among  the  countless  islands  of  the  great  North 
and  South  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans. 

The  memorials  to  which  I  refer  arc  now  before  me.  Among 
them  is  one  from  Nantucket  as  far  back  as  November,  1828.  As 
regards  the  whale-fishery,  the  memorialists  remark  : 

"  "Whether  viewed  as  a  nursery  of  bold,  hardy  seamen,  or  ihe 
employment  of  capital  in  one  of  the  most  protluctive  modes,  or  as 
furnishing  an  article  of  indispensable  necessity  lo  human  comfort, 
it  seems  to  your  pcUtioncrH  to  l»c  especially  deserving  the  public 


LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN.  11 

care.  The  increased  extent  of  the  voyages  now  pursued  by  the 
trading  and  whaling  ships  into  seas  but  little  explored,  and  in  parts 
of  the  world  before  unknown,  has  increased  the  cares,  the  dangers, 
and  losses  of  our  merchants  and  mariners.  Within  a  few  years 
their  cruises  have  extended  from  the  coasts  of  Chili  and  Peru  to 
the  Northwest  Coast,  New-Zealand,  and  the  islands  of  Japan. 
This  increase  of  risk  has  been  attended  by  an  increase  of  loss. 
Several  vessels  have  been  wrecked  on  islands  and  reefs  not  laid 
down  on  any  chart,  and  the  matter  acquires  a  painful  interest  from 
the  fact  that  many  ships  have  gone  into  those  seas,  and  no  soul 
has  survived  to  tell  their  fate.  They  therefore  pray  that  an  ex- 
pedition may  be  fitted  out  under  the  sanction  of  government  to 
explore  and  survey  the  islands  and  coasts  of  the  Pacific  seas,  and, 
as  in  duty  bound,  will  ever  pray,"  &c. 

This  memorial,  emanating  from  an  intelligent,  hardy,  industrious, 
and  enterprising  people,  was  accompanied  by  many  similar  peti- 
tions from  other  places,  all  breathing  the  same  spirit,  and  couched 
in  the  like  simple  yet  forcible  language.  It  never  occurred  to 
these  petitioners  that  their  whaling  operations,  extending  through- 
out the  numerous  groups  of  islands  stretching  from  the  western 
shores  of  South  America  to  the  confines  of  Asia,  could  be  partic- 
ularly benefited  by  surveys  "  as  near  the  South  Pole  as  can  be 
approached  without  danger  T  The  committee  on  naval  affairs 
had  charge  of  the  memorials  adverted  to.  What  thought  they  of 
the  matter?  Seven  out  of  nine  of  their  number  were  in  favour  of 
the  expedition.  General  Ripley,  of  Maine,  made  the  report  on 
the  25lh  March,  1828.  He  began  by  allusion  to  the  weight  of 
character  of  the  memorialists,  and  the  importance  of  the  opinions 
they  expressed,  and  concluded  in  the  following  words : 

"  The  dangers  to  which  an  immense  amount  of  property  is  ex- 
posed, as  well  as  the  hazard  to  human  life,  for  the  want  of  knowl- 
edge by  more  accurate  surveys  of  regions  to  which  our  commerce 
is  extending,  and  the  probable  new  sources  of  wealth  which  may 
be  opened  and  secured  to  us,  seem  to  your  committee  not  only  to 
justify,  but  to  demand  the  appropriation  recommended.  They 
therefore  report  a  bill  for  that  purpose." 

Are  the  dangers  to  which  this  immense  amount  of  property  is 
exposed,  and  the  hazard  to  human  life,  here  spoken  of  as  existing, 
in  regions  "  as  near  as  can  be  approached  to  the  South  Pole  ?" 


12  LETTERS    or    A    CITIZEN. 

Would  surveys  in  that  quarter  render  llie  property  endangered 
more  secure,  or  add  to  the  safety  of  our  mariners  by  restraining 
the  untamed  savage  of  the  tropic  isles  ? 

Between  the  committee  and  the  then  secretary  of  the  navy  an 
interchange  of  opinion  took  })lace.     The  latter  said — 

*'  I  entertain  tlie  opinion  that  such  an  expedition  is  expedient. 
My  reasons  are  briefly  these  :  That  we  have  an  immense  and 
increasing  commerce  in  that  region,  which  needs  the  protecting 
kindness  of  government,  and  may  be  greatly  extended  by  such  an 
expedition.  The  commercial  operations  carried  on  in  that  quarter 
are  difficult  and  hazardous.  They  are  correctly  represented  in  the 
memorial  of  the  inhabitants  of  Nantucket,  to  which  I  would  refer, 
as  well  as  to  some  of  the  many  other  memorials  which  have  been 
addressed  to  Congress  on  this  subject.  It  would  seem  wise  in 
government  to  render  these  commercial  operations  less  hazardous 
and  less  destructive  to  life  and  property.  The  commerce  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean  affords  one  of  the  best  nurseries  for  our  seamen. 
An  expedition  such  as  that  proposed  would  be  calculated  to  in- 
crease that  class  of  citizens  ;  an  increase  in  which  the  government 
and  nation  are  deeply  interested." 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  longer  upon  the  records  of  that  day. 
Sufficient  information  has  been  given  to  leave  no  doubt  of  the 
opinions  then  entertained  by  men  who  had  thoroughly  investigated 
the  subject.  You  were  at  that  time  a  member  of  the  United  States 
Senate  ;  but,  as  the  affair  never  came  fairly  before  that  body  for 
discussion,  you  may  have  forgotten  these  matters.  I  proceed, 
therefore,  to  a  later  period,  embracing  the  action  of  Congress  since 
you  have  been  secretary  of  the  navy.  Of  the  transactions  of  the 
legislature  within  that  interval  T  cajuiot  suppose  you  uninformed, 
because  such  want  of  information  would  almost  imply  a  dereliction 
of  public  duty. 

Mr.  Pearce,  of  Rhode  Island,  to  whom  the  country  is  much  in- 
debted for  the  ability  and  zeal  with  which  he  advocated  this  meas- 
ure before  the  committee  on  commerce,  on  the  seventh  of  Febru- 
ary, 18.35,  made  a  long  report,  which  was  accompanied  l)y  a  bill 
providing  for  an  expedition.  He  conunenced  by  slating  that  the 
number  and  character  of  tlie  memorialists,  together  wiih  the  opin- 
ions they  had  expressed  upon  the  subject  of  their  petition,  had 
called  the  committee  to  an  attentive  and  careful  consideration  of 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  18 

the  objects  to  be  attained  by  the  projected  undertaking,  as  well  as 
of  the  facts  and  reasoning  adduced  in  its  favour.  He  then  went 
into  a  full  examination  of  our  great  interests  in  the  North  and 
South  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans,  and  pointed  out  the  numerous 
ways  in  which  those  interests  might  be  rendered  more  secure,  as 
well  as  greatly  extended,  by  an  efficient  expedition.  He  noticed 
the  action  of  the  legislature  of  his  own  state  during  the  October 
session  of  1834,  in  which  that  body  recommended  the  enterprise 
to  the  favourable  consideration  of  Congress,  as  "  highly  important 
to  our  shipping  and  commercial  interests^  What  shipping  and 
commercial  interests  have  we  near  the  South  Pole?  But  the  leg- 
islature did  not,  perhaps,  exactly  understand  the  import  of  the  lan- 
guage they  used. 

To  the  memorial  from  the  East  India  Marine  Society  of  Salem, 
Massachusetts,  the  committee  made  special  reference.  That 
society  comprises  among  its  members  a  larger  number  of  practi- 
cal seamen  than  any  other  in  the  United  Slates.  By  its  constitu* 
tion  no  one  is  eligible  to  membership  who  has  not  doubled  either 
Cape  Horn  or  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  language  of  such 
a  body  of  men  is  the  language  of  experience.  They  ask  that  an 
expedition  be  fitted  out  under  the  sanction  of  the  government,  the 
objects  of  which  shall  be  to  examine  the  numerous  places  of  trade 
already  visited  for  commercial  purposes  by  our  enterprising  citi- 
zens, and  to  open  new  channels  for  the  extension  of  traffic  by  the 
survey  of  such  groups  of  islands  in  the  North  and  South  Pacific 
Oceans  as  are  imperfectly  explored  or  entirely  unknown  ;  to  as* 
certain  their  true  positions  on  the  charts  ;  examine  their  harbours 
and  mercantile  or  agricultural  capabiliiies  ;  and  to  bring  about  such 
a  friendly  intercourse  with  the  natives  as  shall  prevent  the  effusion 
of  blood. 

They  speak  of  having  themselves  been  in  those  seas,  and  of 
experiencing,  in  severe  losses  and  painful  solicitude,  the  want  of 
national  protection — protection  from  the  dangerous  reef,  guaran- 
tied by  a  well-ascertained  knowledge  of  its  position,  as  also 
against  savages,  who  can  only  be  deterred  from  lawless  violence 
by  being  made  sensible  of  our  power  to  restrain  and  punish  them. 

They  have  "seen  and  felt  the  dangers  our  vessels  are  exposed 
to  for  the  want  of  such  protection  as  an  expedition  fitted  out  f^r 
the  express  purpose  alone  can  give."     They  enforce  their  views 


14  LETTLRS    OK    A    CITIZEN. 

by  calling  the  altenlion  of  Congress  lo  a  single  point,  the  Feejec 
or  Beetee  Islands.  This  group  consists  of  sixty  or  more  in  num- 
ber, of  which  there  is  no  chart  pointing  out  their  harbours,  shoals, 
&€.,  and  yet  no  less  than  twelve  vessels  from  the  single  port  of 
Salem  have  been  engaged  in  procuring  from  this  cluster  biche- 
le-mer,  shells,  and  other  commodities,  in  exchange  for  which  east- 
ern cargoes  are  brought  into  our  country,  thus  contributing  no  in- 
considerable amount  to  our  national  revenue.  Many  mariners 
have  been  killed  by  the  natives,  their  vessels  lost  or  damaged,  and 
the  sum  total  of  losses  would  go  far  towards  paying  the  expenses 
of  an  expedition. 

Are  the  Feejee  Islands  near  the  South  Pole  ? 

The  committee  embraced  in  their  report  a  letter  from  one  of 
the  most  practical,  liberal-minded,  and  intelligent  officers  in  our 
service,  Commodore  Downes.  It  was  written  at  the  request  of  a 
member  of  Congress.  Commodore  Downes  had  had  some  expe- 
rience in  the  navigation  of  the  less  frequented  parts  of  the  Pacific 
at  an  early  period  of  his  life.  During  his  voyage  in  the  Potomac 
an  opportunity  offered  to  add  materially  to  the  knowledge  acquired 
in  former  years.  While  circumnavigating  the  globe,  in  accom- 
plishing which  he  crossed  the  equator  six  times,  and  varied  his 
course  from  forty-two  degrees  north  to  fifty-seven  degrees  soulh 
latitude,  he  had  never  found  himself  beyond  the  limits  of  our  com- 
mercial marine  !  The  accounts  given  of  the  dangers,  privations, 
and  losses  to  which  our  shipping  and  seamen  are  exposed  from 
the  extension  of  our  trade  into  seas  but  little  known,  so  far,  in 
his  opinion,  from  being  exaggerated,  "  would  admit  of  being  placed 
in  bolder  relief,  and  tlie  protection  of  government  implored  in 
stronger  terms."     He  spoke  from  practical  experience. 

Pursuing  the  labours  of  the  committee,  you  will  find  that  which 
must  «tartle  you,  when  contrasted  wilh  some  of  your  recenllv  ex- 
pressed opinions.  That  body  hold  up  lo  your  view  the  policy 
adopted  by  other  countries  ior  the  })r()lcction  of  llieir  fisheries, 
and  show  how  tliese  very  fislicries  have  been  extended  hy  ex- 
ploring expeditions.  The  British  nation  has  disbursed  millions 
in  bounty  to  its  w  halers.  The  American  whaler  has  received  no 
bounty.  !!(;  ri'([uires  none.  He  asks  of  his  nov(Tnment  only 
pioteclion. 

More  especially,  permit  me  lo  call  your  attention   to  the  very 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  16 

last  paragraph  in  the  able  report  to  which  I  have  alhided  ;  it  is 
much  to  the  point,  and  you  may  draw  instruction  from  it.  Yea, 
more,  it  will  furnish  you  with  an  argument  to  refute  the  contempti- 
ble fabrication  of  the  weak  marplotling  enemies  of  this  truly  na 
tional  enterprise,  who,  in  the  face  of  two  hundred  pages  of  printed 
documents,  have  had  the  effrontery  to  say  the  expedition  would 
have  lillle  or  nothing  to  do  with  protection  of  commerce  in  the 
regions  to  be  examined.  I  will  give  the  authors  of  this  device  a 
withering  review  before  I  have  done.  Let  them  prepare  for  it. 
I  know  them,  and  may  feel  it  my  duty  to  drag  them  from  their 
dark  retreats,  perfectly  regardless  who  may  be  found  in  their 
company,  or  what  aspect  they  may  wear  when  exposed  to  the  fair 
face  of  day. 

The  advocates  for  the  expedition,  whether  in  or  out  of  Con- 
gress, have  ever  been  ready  to  meet  their  opponents  in  open  and 
manly  discussion  ;  but  they  have  had  little  of  this  kind  of  opposi- 
tion to  encounter.  What  has  been  frank,  bold,  and  above-board  on 
the  one  hand,  has  been  met  by  cowardly,  ignorant,  or  wilful  mis- 
representation on  the  other.  Those  who  originated,  authorized, 
and  sanctioned  the  enterprise  are  responsible  to  the  country  for 
its  results.  In  courtesy,  in  common  justice,  they  should  be  allowed 
to  influence  its  organization,  and  to  employ  the  force  which,  in  all 
sincerity,  they  deem  indispensable  to  its  ultimate  and  triumphant 
success.  Yes,  sir,  the  objects  of  the  voyage,  the  plan  of  the  voy- 
age, and  the  force  to  be  employed,  are  defensible,  have  been  de- 
fended, and  can  be  defended  before  the  nation  and  the  world. 
Have  their  opponents  met  them  in  argument?  They  have  not, 
they  cannot,  they  dare  not,  under  the  responsibility  of  a  name. 

But  to  the  report.  "  While  your  committee,  in  coming  to  their 
conclusion  in  recommending  such  an  expedition  as  has  been 
prayed  for  by  the  memorialists,  have  been  influenced  by  commer- 
cial views,  and  place  the  policy  of  the  measure  solely  on  these 
grounds,  they  are  not  indifl'erent  to  the  valuable  fund  of  knowledge 
which  may  be  gathered  during  the  voyage,  and  which,  properly 
analyzed  and  vi^ritten  out,  may  be  interesting  not  only  to  the  Amer- 
ican people,  but  to  the  whole  civilized  world." 

Here  I  might  pause  and  appeal  to  the  intelligence  of  the  coun- 
try if  I  have  not  made  out  my  case,  and  convicted  you  of  having 
misrepresented — I  do  not  say  intentionally — the  true  objects  of 


16  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

the  expedition  in  your  instructions  to  the  board.  Let  the  mem- 
bers of  that  board  report.  For  the  objects  to  be  attained  you  state 
the  ybrce  designoted  is  too  large.  For  those  objects,  as  under- 
stood by  Congress  and  the  whole  country,  neither  you  nor  they 
will  venture  to  reduce  it. 

I  am  prepared  to  meet  you,  or  any  one  who  thinks  with  you, 
in  argument,  and  to  demonstrate  that  the  present  force  is  wisely 
proportioned  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  ends  proposed,  or,  if 
altered,  should  he  increased  rather  than  diminished.  Before  I 
have  done  with  you  I  will  go  still  farther,  and  prove  that  you  are 
in  honour  bound  not  only  to  cease  all  opposition,  but  to  fit  out  the 
expedition  on  its  present  plan,  and  that  you  cannot  persist  in  your 
present  course  without  a  sacrifice  of  honour  which  would  tarnish 
the  reputation  of  any  man  in  the  common  concerns  of  life. 

This  is  strong  language,  sir,  but  I  know  what  I  am  saying,  and 
hold  myself  responsible  for  what  I  have  said.     In  my  next  I  shall 
bring  the  matter  nearer  to  your  department  in  the  further  exami- 
nation of  your  precious  instructions. 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

New.York.  July  1,  1837 


III. 

To  the  HonoHk-able  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 
I  proceed  to  a  further  examination  of  your  precious  instructions 
to  the  naval  board,  as  promised  in  the  conclusion  of  my  last  let- 
ter. I  feel  humiliation  in  the  task  of  holding  you  up  to  the  pub- 
lic gaze  as  unfaithful  to  your  duty  in  neglecting  to  execute  a 
itcice-repeated  law  of  Congress,  unfortunately  for  the  honour  of 
our  country  intrusted  to  your  hands.  I  still  deal  with  your  pub- 
lic acts.  In  the  private  walks  of  life  it  is  said  you  are  amiable 
and  kind.  I  am  glad  that  it  is  so.  To  your  observance  of  the 
courtesies  of  your  ofiice  I  can  myself  bear  testimony.  I  can 
^well  upon  them,  and  upon  the  domestic  virtues  claimed  for  you, 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  17 

with  the  same  kind  of  fervid  pleasure  the  weary  traveller  may  be 
supposed  to  feel  when  gazing  upon  some  green  spot  and  gushing 
fountain  in  the  midst  of  the  desert,  while  all  around  is  barren  and 
unproductive — a  hungry  soil,  that  swallows  up  the  fattening 
showers,  poured  by  bounteous  Heaven  upon  its  steril  bosom,  but 
in  return  gives  forth  nor  fruit,  nor  flower,  nor  herb  to  gladden 
the  eye  and  cheer  the  interminable  waste. 

But  to  my  task.  Do  you,  sir,  remember,  that  on  the  23d  of 
January,  1835,  a  call,  in  the  form  of  a  resolution,  was  made  on 
you  by  Congress  for  an  original  report  of  J.  N.  Reynolds,  Esq., 
on  the  "  Islands,  reefs,  and  shoals  of  the  Pacific,  &c.,  &c. ;"  and 
that,  on  the  ensuing  day,  you  transmitted  said  report,  with  this 
note — "  When  no  longer  required,  it  is  respectfully  requested  it 
may  be  returned  ? 

Mahlon  Dickerson.  " 
Allow  me,  sir,  to  ask  you,  in  the  most  respectful  manner,  what 
that  paper  contained.  You  cannot  plead  forgetfulness  of  its  con- 
tents, because  it  passed  through  your  hands  in  manuscript  form, 
and  soon  after  was  returned  to  your  department  a  printed  docu- 
ment of  some  forty  or  more  pages.  You  know,  sir,  that  docu- 
ment embraces  a  list  of  islands,  reefs,  and  shoals  discovered  by, 
and  noted  in,  the  logbooks  of  our  whalemen  during  the  last  thirty 
years,  as  they  gradually,  in  the  pursuit  of  their  vocation,  followed 
the  great  monsters  of  the  deep  into  unfrequented  seas  and  remote 
parts  of  the  globe. 

You  further  know,  sir,  that  that  document  contains  irresistible 
evidence  of  the  necessity  and  importance  of  the  labours  to  be  per- 
formed by  the  expedition  among  the  thousand  islands  erroneously 
laid  down  in  our  charts ;  and  among  others — to  the  extent  of  more 
than  half  that  number — not  laid  down,  nor  to  be  found  on  any 
chart,  however  recent  or  improved  its  construction.  This  was 
the  light  in  which  the  document  was  viewed  and  commented  on 
by  committees  who  made  reports,  and  by  members  who  alluded  to 
it  in  their  speeches  on  the  floor  of  Congress.  And  yet,  sir,  in  the 
face  of  all  this,  and  of  all  else  I  have  stated  and  have  to  state, 
you,  in  your  official  capacity  as  secretary  of  the  uavy,  have  told 
the  board  to  look  moinly  to  the  means  of  getting  to  the  South 
Pole  or  near  it,  and  then,  forsooth,  to  see  if  the  present  force  be 
not  too  large  for  that  single  object  I 

C 


AO  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

Are  you  not  aware,  sir,  lliat,  throughout  those  wide -spread  seas, 
speckled  with  countless  islands,  we  have,  engaged  m  the  whale- 
fishery  only,  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  tons  of  ship- 
ping, valued  at  twelve  millions  of  dollars,  and  giving  employment 
to  not  less  than  ten  thousand  men,  to  say  nothing  of  the  increas- 
ing traffic  in  treasures  gleaned  from  coral  reefs,  and  in  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  islands  ?  Are  you  not  cognizant  of  ihe  fact,  that 
the  combined  interests  of  all  the  other  commercial  nations  of  the 
earth  do  not  equal  ours  alone  in  those  seas  ?  You  cannot  but 
know,  sir,  that  these  islands  are  inhabited  by  every  variety  of  sav- 
age man  ;  that  our  vessels  have  been  wrecked  among  them,  often 
attacked,  and  sometimes  cut  off  by  them  ;  our  mariners  massacred, 
or,  if  spared,  spared  only  to  wear  out  a  wretched  existence,  in  the 
captives'  hopeless  prayer  that  the  honour  and  justice  of  their 
country  might  be  aroused  to  rescue  them.  If  the  supplications 
of  disconsolate  and  heart-stricken  parents,  whose  sons  are  in 
bondage,  could  move  you,  how  soon  would  this  expedition  depart 
on  its  errand  of  mercy,  of  utility,  and  national  renown  !  All  thes<5 
things  are  known  to  you,  sir,  and  yet  you  have  not  alluded  to 
one  of  them  in  your  instructions  to  the  naval  board,  in  which  you 
profess  to  set  forth  the  objects  of  the  enterprise.  Why,  in  the 
name  of  all  that  is  high,  and  noble,  and  manly,  have  you  thus 
compromitted  your  official  character  ?  I  feel  compassion  for  you 
in  the  unpleasant  predicament  in  which  you  stand,  and,  were  I  to 
consult  my  inclinations  rather  than  my  duly,  would  willingly  leave 
you  in  the  hands  of  the  public,  and  to  the  bitter  reminiscences  of 
your  own  mind.  But  this  may  not  be  ;  you  are  a  public  man, 
and  the  public  good  requires  that  I  should  go  on. 

Is  it  not  within  your  knowledge,  sir,  that  our  whale-ships  often, 
nay,  daily,  pass  by  islands  in  those  seas  to  more  distant  ports  for 
refreshments  ;  while  those  very  islands,  if  surveyed,  their  har- 
bours pointed  out,  and  the  natives  awed  into  respect  by  a  judicious 
display  of  our  power,  would  fiirnij^h  in  abundance  the  necessaries 
or  refreshments  required  ?  Are  you  to  be  informed,  sir,  that  all 
•barbarians  estimate  the  power  of  others  solely  by  contrasting  that 
power  with  their  own ;  and  that  many  of  these  islanders  have 
learned  to  distinguish  between  the  flaos  of  dillcrent  countries,  and 
to  deride  one  nation  or  fear  another,  according  to  the  weakness  or 
strength  which  each  displays  in  its  naval  armament  '?     This  fact 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  19 

was  illustrated  in  1824,  when  the  British  government  sent  Lord 
Byron,  in  the  frigate  Blonde,  to  the  Sandwich  and  other  islands. 
"What  was  the  effect  produced  on  the  minds  of  the  savages  by  the 
presence  of  that  ship  ?  So  firm  was  their  impression  that  there 
was  no  power  on  earth  equal  to  the  English,  that  the  American 
residents  and  traders  in  that  quarter  wrote  to  Commodore  Hull, 
then  commanding  the  Pacific  squadron,  requesting  that  he  would 
send  a  frigate  for  the  sole  purpose  of  doing  away  or  modifying  the 
feeling  which  the  visit  of  the  Blonde  had  produced  ;  and  you  may 
lay  your  hand  upon  the  evidence  of  this  fact  in  the  archives  of 
your  department.  Your  predecessor  sent  the  frigate  Potomac  to 
Quallah-Battoo  to  chastise  the  Malays,  whose  hands  were  red 
with  the  blood  of  our  countrymen.  Her  presence  on  that  coast, 
I  assert  without  fear  of  contradiction,  made  a  more  lasting  im- 
pression for  good  on  the  inhabitants  than  the  appearance  of  a 
dozen  sloops-of-war  could  have  done.  Had  you  been  then  in  of- 
fice, the  ghost  of  La  Perouse     *     *     *     but  I  forbear. 

I  presume  you  are  not  uninformed  that  the  French  have,  prob- 
ably, less  than  one  tenth  of  our  interest  afloat  in  the  North  and 
South  Pacific  Oceans ;  and  yet  they  have  despatched  three  frigates 
to  these  seas  avowedly  to  protect  and  extend  their  trade  and  fish- 
eries, and  to  subserve  the  purposes  of  science.  The  people  of 
this  country,  on  the  other  hand,  have  the  melancholy  spectacle 
presented  to  them  of  your  eff'orts  to  cut  down  the  first  similar  na- 
tional expedition  undertaken  by  this  great  republic,  and  that,  too, 
in  the  very  face  of  a  solemn  law  of  the  land  ! 

I  mentioned  the  name  of  La  Perouse.  The  loss  of  his  frigate 
some  half  century  or  more  ago  has  been  a  stereotyped  argument 
assumed  by  you  and  a  few  others  against  the  employment  of  a 
small  thirty-six  gun  ship.  But  now  the  tables  are  turned  ;  for,  if 
the  wreck  of  the  ship  alluded  to  be  quoted  as  a  precedent  against 
the  employment  of  vessels  of  that  class,  it  may  be  fully  met  by 
the  fact  that  France  has  since  despatched  three  frigates  into  the 
same  seas  ;  thus  leaving  you  no  ground  to  stand  upon,  save  your 
paternal  solicitude  for  the  lives  of  those  who  may  embark! 

Is  it  possible,  at  this  late  period  of  your  life,  with  all  your  expe- 
rience, and  the  opportunities  you  have  had  to  expand  your  mind 
in  reflecting  on  and  investigating  the  gi-eat  concerns  of  nations, 
you  have  still  to  be  informed  that,  in  case  of  a  war  between  our 


20  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

country  and  any  of  the  first  maritime  powers  of  Europe,  this  gov- 
ernment would  be  compelled  to  dash  her  frifrates,  if  not  her  larger 
vessels,  into  the  waters  to  which  I  refer  ?  There  she  has  a  com- 
merce ;  and  where  her  commerce  is,  there  must  be  her  navy  and 
her  ocean  conflicts  also.  What  would  be  thought  of  your  present 
policy  in  such  an  emergency  ?  and  what  would  be  thought  of  those 
naval  officers  who  have  echoed  your  sentiments  upon  the  subject  ? 
We  are  now  at  peace  with  the  world,  and  this  is  the  season  to 
acquire  that  knowledge  which  would  most  assuredly  be  needed 
and  most  valuable  in  the  event  of  war. 

One  thing  is  certain  ;  were  I  the  enemy,  I  should  count  upon 
rich  prizes  in  the  Pacific  before  any  vessel  fitted  out  by  your  di- 
rection could  reach  me.  I  should  anticipate  at  least  twelve 
months  uninterrupted  pickings  among  the  American  whalers ; 
and  even  then,  in  consequence  of  La  Perousc  having  been  lostj 
T  should  expect  nothing  more  formidable  than  a  sloop-of-war  to 
come  after  me  among  the  islands  ! 

But  why  should  I  consume  more  time  in  exposing  this  part  of 
your  official  delinquencies?  You  cannot  defend  yourself.  Your 
maladministration  is  indefensible.  Why,  sir,  you  cannot  open 
the  document  containing  the  authority  under  which  you  act  with- 
out seeing,  on  every  page  of  the  Senate's  report,  a  complete  refu- 
tation of  the  extraordinary  position  you  have  assumed. 

You  cannot  look  over  the  columns  of  speeches  made  by  mem- 
bers, explaining  the  true  objects  of  the  enterprise,  without  meet- 
ing a  withering  rebuke.  Allow  me  to  commend  to  your  attention 
a  speech  of  singular  ability,  made  on  this  subject  by  Mr.  Hamar, 
of  Ohio ;  it  has  been  published  in  all  quarters  of  the  Union.  Per- 
haps the  enlarged  and  statesman-like  views  it  exhibits  may  render 
it,  though  not  incomprehensible,  at  least  unpalatable  to  you.  Nor 
does  Mr.  Hamar  stand  alone.  Mr.  Vinton,  indeed  the  whole  del- 
egation from  the  state  of  Ohio,  have  ever  stood  as  one  man  upon 
this  subject.  Their  weiglit  and  influence  have  told,  and,  if  need 
be,  will  again  tell ! 

But  the  most  extraordinary  part  of  this  story  remains  to  be  dis- 
closed. After  all  wc  have  seen  in  the  character  of  your  in- 
structions to  the  naval  board,  and  the  object  proposed  by  those 
instructions,  what  will  the  community  think  when  informed  of 
the  fact  that,  for  a  considerable  lime  after  the  expedition  had  been 


LETTERS    OF    A   CITIZEN.  21 

authorized  at  the  first  session  of  the  last  Congress,  you,  the  Hon. 
Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  ridiculed  the  very- 
idea  of  undertaking  to  explore  high  latitudes  south  !  To  give  an 
instance,  sir.  In  your  office,  on  one  occasion,  while  in  conversa- 
tion with  a  gentleman  of  unimpeachable  veracity,  you  said  it  loas 
all  nonsense  to  talk  about  going  to  regions  near  the  South  Pole  ; 
and,  to  use  your  own,  not  very  classic,  language,  that  "  none 
but  a  d — d  fool  would  think  of  it !  !  !  !  !"  And  yet,  for  some 
mysterious  and  inscrutable  purpose,  it  now  suits  your  pleasure 
to  pretend  that  this  is  the  great  leading  aim  and  object  of  the  en- 
terpise  ! 

Thus  do  you  stand,  sir,  before  the  American  people — an  official 
spectacle,  such  as  has  been  rarely,  if  ever,  before  looked  upon.  It 
is  no  fancy  sketch  ;  would  to  Heaven,  for  your  own  sake  and  that 
of  our  common  country,  that  it  were.  I  have  charged  you  before 
the  tribunal  of  the  public  with  dereliction  of  duty  ;  with  having 
misrepresented  the  objects  of  the  expedition  in  your  instructions 
to  the  naval  board  ;  and  with  having  intended,  by  such  misrepre- 
sentation, to  draw  from  that  board  a  report,  to  be  used  as  a  pre- 
text for  reducing  the  force  authorized  by  law  to  be  employed  in 
the  enterprise.  Whether  I  have  not  fully  and  triumphantly  made 
out  my  case,  I  appeal  to  the  intelligence  of  the  community  ;  to 
the  members  of  Congress  who  authorized  the  outfit ;  to  the  late 
executive,  and  those  members  of  his  cabinet  who  took  an  interest 
in  it ;  and  to  the  conductors  of  the  public  press  in  whose  columns 
the  great  national  purposes  of  the  expedition  have  been  so  often 
discussed  and  so  generously  supported. 

You  will  hear  from  me  again. 

Very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

New-York,  July  8,  1837. 


22  LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN. 

IV. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 

"  You  will  Hear  from  me  again"  were  ihe  concluding  words  of 
my  last  letter.  With  that  letter  terminated  all  1  deemed  it  neces- 
sary to  say,  in  a  connected  form,  in  relation  to  your  extraordinary 
instructions  to  the  naval  board.  In  following  up  the  train  of 
your  official  doings,  though  I  may  now  be  compelled  to  take  a 
somewhat  wider  range,  I  shall,  nevertheless,  endeavour  to  adhere 
closely  to  the  text  and  closely  to  you. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1836,  the  bill  authorizing  the  expedition, 
in  despite  of  all  your  efforts  to  defeat  it,  passed  both  houses  of 
Congress,  and  receiving,  as  it  did,  the  cordial  sanction  of  the 
president,  became  the  law  of  the  land.  No  one  anticipated  fur- 
ther difficulty.  If  you,  however,  entertained  honest  convictions 
against  the  utility  of  the  enterprise,  or  apprehended  the  good  it 
might  do  would  be  purchased  at  too  dear  a  rate,  you  had  a  fine 
opportunity  of  enforcing  those  convictions  while  the  bill  was  under 
deliberation  ;  and  that  you  did  thus  exert  yourself,  with  an  energy 
which  you  have  seldom,  if  ever,  manifested  in  the  discharge  of 
your  official  duties,  was  apparent  at  the  time  to  every  observer. 
But  when,  as  I  have  stated,  the  whole  matter  was  settled  by  Con- 
gress, no  person  anticipated  any  further  opposition  from  you. 
Your  duty  then  became  simply  an  executive  duty ;  and  whether 
the  expedition  was  upon  too  large  or  too  small  a  scale,  whether  it 
would  cost  one  hundred  thousand  or  five  millions  of  dollars,  were 
contingences  for  which  you  were  not  responsible,  in  which  you 
had  no  official  concern,  and  about  which  you  had  no  right  to 
trouble  yourself. 

May  and  June  passed  away,  and  no  stop  had  been  taken  by 
you  to  put  in  train  the  preparations  for  the  expedition.  Fifty  days 
had  thus  been  lost.  You  now  began  to  speak  plainly,  and  to 
liold  the  language  that  twelve  months  would  be  necessary  to 
complete  the  outfit.  Yes,  sir,  twelve  months  was  tlie  period  you 
named,  and  this,  be  it  retiicmbered,  was  before  you  could  have 
foreseen  any  of  the  difficulties  to  which  you  have  since  ascribed 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  23 

all  the  subsequent  delay — with  what  justice  will  be  hereafter 
shown.  This  procrastinating  policy,  thus  early  developed,  met 
with  no  favour  from  the  president ;  and  it  was  not  until  he  had 
taken  the  matter  in  his  own  hands  and  overruled  you,  that,  for 
the  first  time,  you  made  yourself  acquainted  with  what  the  law 
required  you  to  do.  Yes,  sir,  amid  the  pressure  of  executive 
duty  incident  to  the  close  of  a  long  session,  and  while  on  the 
eve  of  his  departure  for  Tennessee,  the  president  put  you  into 
the  traces,  and  directed  the  whole  plan  of  preparation  to  be  carried 
immediately  into  execution,  in  a  spirit  and  on  a  scale  commensu- 
rate with  the  character  and  resources  of  the  country,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  following,  which  appeared  in  the  Globe  on  the  13th 
of  July,  1836. 

"  We  learn  that  the  president  has  given  orders  to  have  the  ex- 
ploring vessels  fitted  out  with  the  least  possible  delay.  The  ap- 
propriation made  my  Congress  was  ample  to  ensure  all  the  great 
objects  contemplated  by  the  expedition,  and  the  executive  is  de- 
termined that  nothing  shall  be  wanting  to  render  the  expedition 
worthy  the  character  and  great  commercial  resources  of  the  coun- 
try. 

"  The  frigate  Macedonian,  now  undergoing  thorough  repairs  at 
Norfolk,  two  brigs  of  two  hundred  tons  each,  one  or  more  tenders, 
and  a  store-ship  of  competent  dimensions,  are,  we  understand, 
the  force  agreed  upon,  and  to  be  put  in  a  state  of  immediate 
preparation.  Captain  Thomas  Ap.  C.  Jones,  an  officer  possess- 
ing many  high  qualities  for  such  a  service,  has  been  appointed  to 
the  command  ;  and  officers  for  the  other  vessels  will  be  imme- 
diately selected. 

"  The  Macedonian  has  been  chosen  instead  of  a  sloop-of-war 
on  account  of  the  increased  accommodation  she  will  afford  the 
scientific  corps,  a  department  the  president  has  determined  shall 
be  complete  in  its  organization,  including  the  ablest  men  that  can 
be  procured  ;  so  that  nothing  w^ithin  the  whole  range  of  every  de- 
partment of  natural  history  and  philosophy  shall  be  omitted.  Not 
only  on  this  account  has  the  frigate  been  selected,  but  also  for  the 
purpose  of  a  more  extended  protection  of  our  whale m.en  and  tra- 
ders, and  to  impress  on  the  minds  of  the  natives  a  just  concep- 
tion of  our  character,  power,  and  policy.  The  frequent  disturb- 
ances and  massacres  committed  on  our  seamen  by  the  natives  in^ 


24  LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN". 

habiting  the  islands  in  those  distant  seas  makes  this  measure  a 
dictate  of  humanity." 

When  this  article  appeared,  why  did  you  not  remonstrate  with 
the  president,  and  show  him  lliat  he  had  misunderstood  the  true 
objects  of  the  undertaking  ;  that  the  allusions  to  our  "  whalemen," 
to  the  "  protection  of  commerce,"  to  the  impression  contemplated 
to  be  produced  on  the  minds  of  the  natives  by  a  proper  exhibition 
of  our  "  character,  power,  and  policy,"  could  not  belong  to  an  ex- 
pedition intended  only  for  high  latitudes  ?  How  can  you  answer 
to  your  country  for  having  omitted,  at  that  early  period,  to  set  the 
head  of  the  nation  riglit,  and  to  correct  the  strange  notions  he  had 
formed  about  the  purposes  of  the  voyage  ? 

To  be  serious.  You  know,  sir,  it  was  the  wish  of  the  execu- 
tive at  that  time  to  be  able  to  say,  in  his  next  annual  message  to 
Congress,  "  The  expedition  has  sailed  ;"  and  had  the  directions 
which  he  then  left  been  obeyed  in  good  faith,  such  had  been  his 
language  when  the  national  legislature  again  convened  ;  or,  at  any 
rate,  long  since  had  the  vessels  designated  been  ploughing  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific.  Sir,  in  your  heart  you  know  I  speak  the 
words  of  truth  and  soberness  ! 

In  October  the  president  returned  to  liic  capital.  Do  you  re- 
member his  astonishment  and  displeasure  on  learning  the  little 
progress  which  had  been  made  during  his  absence  ?  You  had, 
however,  by  this  lime  got  hold  of  an  excuse  for  the  delay — the 
impossibility  of  procuring  men.  I  will  examine  this  ijnpossi- 
hility  anon.  It  is  true,  you  had  despatched  an  agent  to  Europe  to 
procure  instruments,  and  had  sent  a  circular  to  our  learned  so- 
cieties, asking  their  advice  and  opini^^ns  as  to  the  organization  of 
the  scientific  department  of  the  enterprise.  You  received  from 
them  able  reports;  but  tlic  reading  of  many  of  them,  if  you  have 
read  them  at  all,  has  been  a  labour  of  very  recent  dale. 

The  season  was  now  far  advanced,  and  all  hope  of  sailing  du- 
ring the  autumn  had  passed  away.  Congress  was  soon  to  assem- 
ble, and  it  was  ajoparent  to  all  that  the  whole  subject  would  come 
once  more  before  ihat  body.  That  you  again  prepared  to  renew 
your  opposiiion  wilh  new  exj)cclations  of  success,  your  acts,  as  I 
shall  examine  lliem,  will  abundanlly  prove.  Did  you  ever  hear 
of  any  consulfdfions  having  takini  place  before  the  precise  plan  of 
attack  was  agreed  upon  ?     Perhaps  it  is  hardly  fair  to  question 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  25 

you  too  closely  upon  this  point ;  so  I  will  waive  it,  and  allow  your 
official  acts  to  speak  for  themselves,  as  I  shall  take  them  up  in 
my  next  letter. 

It  was  now  well  ascertained  in  the  naval  service  that  you  had 
no  partiality  for  the  expedition,  nor  have  you  ever  been  known  to 
manifest  any  feelings  of  that  nature  towards  those  by  whom  it  was 
commanded.  He  who  could  depreciate  the  high  objects,  or  find 
most  fault  with  the  plan  and  scope  of  the  measure,  either  in  toto 
or  detail,  was  sure  of  finding  in  you  a  most  graciously-condescending 
and  patiently-listening  auditor.  You  have  often  said  that  the  offi- 
cers of  the  navy  were  opposed  to  the  expedition.  Did  man  ever 
labour  more  zealously  in  any  cause  than  you  have  done  to  produce 
this  very  opposition  ?  Why,  sir,  the  scientific  corps  has  frequently 
been  held  up  by  you  as  an  encroachment  upon  the  rights  of  those 
officers,  and  you  have  as  frequently  stated  that  to  be  one  reason 
why  the  whole  affair  was  so  unpopular  with  them.  This  prepos- 
terous sentiment,  so  freely  and  perpetually  expressed  by  the  head 
of  the  department,  could  not  fail  to  produce  some  impression,  es- 
pecially among  the  less  informed  and  less  considerate  portion  of 
the  profession.  You  even  went  farther,  and  maintained  that  the 
officers  had  a  right,  if  not  to  fix  the  salaries  which  should  be  al- 
lowed men  of  science,  at  least  to  protest  against  their  compensa- 
tion exceeding  a  certain  amount  per  annum.  I  am  not  aware  how 
many  you  may  have  found  to  echo  this  opinion,  as  I  have  never 
myself  heard  any  such  language  from  the  profession. 

You  know  how  many  there  are  and  ivho  they  are  who  hold 
such  doctrine.  I  have  no  wish  to  learn  the  former  or  designate 
the  latter  ;  but,  taking  you  as  the  authority,  we  are  bound  to  be- 
lieve that  such  sentiments  are  entertained,  and  that  the  ardour  of 
the  service  has  been  somewhat  cooled  towards  the  enterprise  on 
that  account.  Permit  me  to  say,  sir,  that  the  worst  enemy  of  the 
navy  could  adopt  no  measure  more  injurious  to  its  interests  than 
that  of  fomenting  causeless  jealousy  between  the  officer  and  the 
citizen  in  the  few  and  far-between  instances  in  which  they  are 
brought  together  on  duty.  The  title  of  citizen,  sir,  is  a  proud 
title.  This  is  a  country  of  citizens.  Citizens  make  the  navy, 
increase  or  diminish  it  at  their  pleasure,  appoint  and  support  its 
officers,  and  will  judge  them  ! !  For  every  year  he  is  on  active 
duty,  an  officer  may  be  two  on  shore,  receiving  pay  in  the  latter 

D 


26  LETTERS    or    A    CITIZEN. 

as  well  as  in  the  former  case.  Of  this  the  citizens  make  no  com- 
plaint. They  have  created  a  navy  for  great  national  purposes, 
not  for  individuals.  If  the  more  intellectual,  better  informed,  and, 
of  course,  more  influential  portion  of  its  officers  did  not  form  a 
barrier  against  those,  to  the  service,  suicidal  pretensions  which 
have  received  your  sanction,  then,  indeed,  there  might  justly  be 
much  apprehension  for  the  success  of  the  expedition,  and  still 
more  for  the  prosperity  and  improvement  of  the  navy.  Let  those 
you  have  encouraged  in  these  extravagant  opinions,  be  they  few 
or  many,  of  high  rank  or  low,  assume  to  themselves  an  imagined 
importance,  and,  with  supercilious,  domineering  tone,  attempt  to 
sneer  at  civilians  and  oppose  their  employment — as,  according 
to  you,  they  have  already  done — on  board  public  vessels  where 
their  country  requires  their  services,  and  where  their  right  to  fill 
certain  stations  is  not  by  courtesy  or  sufferance,  but  derived  from 
authority  unquestionable  as  that  of  the  commander  himself — 
for  both  emanate  from  the  same  source ;  let  them  indulge  in  il- 
liberal, contracted  feelings  of  petty  jealousy  against  the  appoint- 
ment of  citizens  to  their  appropriate  provinces,  and  they  will  soon 
find  themselves  in  the  hands  of  a  giant,  who  knows  his  power  and 
will  use  it ! 

It  is  no  reproach  to  the  gentlemen  of  the  navy  that  they  have 
not  the  varied  scientific  knowledge  required  for  a  national  expe- 
dition such  as  has  been  directed  by  Congress  to  be  organized. 
They  are  only  open  to  censure  when,  forgetful  of  their  own  noble 
profession,  they  claim  to  assume  the  performance  of  duties  for 
which  their  previous  training  and  distinct  line  of  action  have  left 
them  totally  unqualified.  Our  public  vessels  have  been  round 
the  world,  and  our  officers  in  them,  among  islands  and  in  places 
rarely  visited  ;  but  what  contributions  to  science  have  resulted  ? 
Where  is  the  record  to  which  reference  can  be  made,  and  which 
affords  a  sufficient  guarantee  that  all  that  is  required  in  the  de- 
partment of  science  could  be  accomplished  by  the  profession,  at 
a  time,  too,  when  the  whole  range  of  that  department  has  as- 
sumed such  a  determined  accuracy  of  detail  that  the  slightest 
blunder  would  subject  us  to  the  ridicule  of  the  scientific  world  ? 
Sir,  no  such  record  exists  ;  and,  until  it  does  exist,  it  is  folly — and, 
I  can  readily  conceive,  must  be  humiliating  to  the  abler  portion  of 
the  service — to  hear  such  silly  pretensions  set  up  by  their  weaker 


LETTERS    OF   A    CITIZEN.  27 

brethren,  though  such  pretensions  be  endorsed  by  you,  the  hon- 
ourable secretary  of  the  navy. 

But  I  will  not  dwell  long  on  a  position  so  untenable.  It  was 
only  assumed,  in  common  wiih  many  others,  to  increase  the  weight 
of  your  opposition  to  the  measure  at  the  last  session,  by  adding 
professional  prejudice  to  your  other  weapons  of  attack. 

How  infinitely  more  worthy  and  becoming  in  you,  the  head  of 
the  department,  had  you  either  checked  the  first  expression  of 
this  disorganizing  spirit,  or  given  it  a  more  noble  direction.  Why 
did  you  not  point  out  to  these  gentlemen  that  it  would  soon  be 
regarded  as  a  reproach  to  the  navy  if  a  hydrographical  bureau 
were  not  established  in  your  department  ?  But  perhaps  we  should 
overlook  your  omissions  of  this  nature,  when  the  increase  of  the 
forces  to  be  led  against  the  expedition  was  the  paramount  consid- 
eration in  your  mind. 

I  do  not  feel  it  a  part  of  my  present  duty  to  dwell  particularly 
on  the  various  difficulties  which  have  occurred  between  the  naval 
officers,  although  I  think  I  could  give  the  public  some  additional 
light  as  regards  the  part  you  have  had  in  fomenting  those  dissen- 
sions, and  shall  do  so  whenever  such  a  course  may  seem  expedi- 
ent or  necessary. 

In  my  next  I  shall  take  up  that  section  of  your  annual  report 
which  alludes  to  the  expedition. 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN 

New-York,  July  17, 1837. 


To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 

Sir, 
In  your  annual  report  to  the  president,  under  December  3, 
1836,  we  find,  for  the  first  time,  a  faint  and  shadowy  type  of  the 
assertion  which,  since  that  period,  you  have  so  confidently  put 
forth,  that  the  South  Sea  expedition  was  an  enterprise  having  no 
connexion  with  the  protection  of  our  commerce.     Thus,  speaking 


28  LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN. 

of  the  service  generally,  you  remark,  "  that  the  force  ivanted  for 
the  jyrotectio?!  of  commerce  exceeds  the  means  of  supply"  Mark 
the  words,  "  t?ie  force  needed  for  the  protection  of  commerce," 
from  which  force  you  exclude  the  frigate  and  other  vessels  belong- 
ing to  the  expedition.  The  plan  of  attack  had  now  been  agreed 
upon,  and  we  find  the  campaign  thus  ofiicially  opened  by  you. 
It  is  true,  as  I  have  abundantly  shown  in  my  second  and  third 
letters,  that  the  memorialists,  committees,  members  of  Congress, 
and  public  press  held  very  different  language.  By  these,  commer- 
cial considerations  had  been  made  the  basis  of  the  undertaking; 
and  that  their  arguments  to  sustain  it  on  this  ground  were  invul- 
nerable, is  proved  by  the  fact  that  they  have  never  been  ansinered. 
Hence  the  bold  and  audacious  move  to  separate  the  expedition 
from  all  objects  of  immediate  and  practical  utility,  and  to  exagger- 
ate its  cost.  Thus  weakened,  sanguine  hopes  were  entertained 
of  breaking  it  down,  or,  failing  in  that  object,  of  at  least  greatly 
reducing  its  force  and  magnitude. 

Your  attacks  have  been  bold,  direct,  and  manly.  The  tenacious 
grasp  with  which  you  clung  to  office  prevented  that,  wath  the  late 
executive  as  well  as  at  the  present  time.  At  one  time  you  pro- 
fess great  anxict}^  to  fit  out  the  expedition  ;  at  another,  your  nat- 
ural, long-cherished,  deep-seated  hostility  breaks  forth,  in  no  very 
choice  or  set  phrase,  against  the  entire  scope  or  plan  of  the  enter- 
prise. Now  you  speak  with  becoming  zeal  in  behalf  of  the  sci- 
entific department,  and  again,  designate  the  members  of  the  corps 
as  oyster  and  clam  catchers.  You  have  done  all  in  your  power 
to  dispirit  and  disgust  them,  by  pertinaciously  refusing  to  put  them 
on  active  duty,  or  to  allow  them  any  compensation  until  the  fourth 
of  the  current  month,  although  Congress  made  a  specific  appro- 
priation for  them  from  the  first  of  January  last.  More  upon  this 
subject  presently. 

We  have  next  a  striking  proof  of  your  far-reaching  and  saga- 
cious forecast,  which  enabled  you  to  perceive,  at  the  very  moment 
the  outfit  was  authorized  by  Congress,  that  it  would  be  impracti- 
cable to  complete  it  "  under  eight  or  nine  months,  without  a  se 
rious  injury  to  other  hraiwhes  of  the  naval  service  /"  Fourteen 
months  have  elapsed,  and  the  preparations  arc  still  unfinished. 
The  first  of  October  is  the  latest  period  at  which  the  vessels  should 
depart,  and  1  now  tell  you,  before  the  face  of  the  whole  nation, 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  29 

that  such  has  been  the  ruinous  tendency  of  your  clogging  tardi- 
ness of  action,  that  the  squadron,  even  at  that  late  date,  will  be 
compelled  to  proceed  to  sea  incomplete  in  some  of  its  depart- 
ments, but,  it  is  hoped,  ^'ivithout  serious  injury  to  other  branches 
of  the  naval  service  /"  Perchance  still  further  delay,  however, 
may,  in  your  opinion,  be  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  preventing 
this  collision  of  interests  ! 

Evidently  feeling  the  deep  necessity  of  strengthening  your  po- 
sition and  justifying  your  intended  procrastination,  you  further 
state,  that  "  the  only  insurmountable  difficulty^''  in  your  mind  was 
the  shipment  of  the  requisite  number  of  men  "  in  three  or  four 
months  loithout  interfering  ivith  arrangements  already  made" 
for  sending  ships  to  other  stations.  How  humiliating  to  the  pride 
of  our  country  is  the  acknowledgment  made  by  you,  its  secretary 
of  the  navy,  before  the  commercial  and  naval  powers  of  the  Old 
World,  that  a  small  squadron,  requiring  but  a  few  hundred  seamen, 
could  not  be  manned  and  sent  out  without  deranging  the  great 
naval  operations  of  the  nation  !  This  country,  whose  private  armed 
ships  during  the  revolution  captured  fifteen  hundred  sail  from  the 
enemy,  which  humbled  the  fierce  corsairs  of  the  Mediterranean, 
and  broke  the  charm  of  British  invincibility  by  sea ;  this  country, 
which  but  yesterday  was  bristling  up  to  fight  one  of  the  first  naval 
powers  of  the  earth,  ay,  loould  have  done  it,  and,  if  need  be,  will 
do  it,  is  told  by  you  that  a  sufficient  number  of  sailors  for  an  ex- 
ploring expedition  cannot  be  obtained  without  deranging  your 
plans  and  weakening  the  efficiency  of  your  measures  for  the  pro- 
tection of  our  interests  in  the  Pacific,  West  Indian,  and  Brazilian 
stations  !  Surely  no  nation,  however  mighty,  will  hazard  a  war 
with  the  United  States  while  you  have  the  direction  of  her  naval 
resources  !  It  may  be  that  the  King  of  the  French  had  his  eye 
upon  you  when  he  concluded  to  pay  the  long-withheld  indemnity 
to  our  citizens,  and  that,  owing  to  the  ingratitude  so  frequently  as- 
cribed to  republics,  you  have  not,  as  yet,  received  your  full  share 
of  credit  for  the  part  you  had  in  that  transaction.  Be  assured, 
however, 2^osterity  will  do  you  justice,  if,  indeed,  you  do  not  learn^ 
while  yet  you  may  feel,  the  value  set  upon  your  official  actions. 

Not  only  does  it  appear  from  your  official  report  that  you  were 
anxious  to  prepare  the  public  mind  for  the  delays  which  were  to 
ensue,  but  you  laboured  also  to  convince  the  president  that  no 


30  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

agency  in  these  delays  was  chargeable  on  you.  Thus  you  tell 
him,  that  inasmuch  as  "  it  was  his  earnest  wish  that  the  intentions 
of  Cong7'ess  in  authorizing  the  measure  should  he  carried  into 
effect  with  the  least  possible  delay, ^'  you  had  not  only  resolved  to 
clothe  Commodore  Jones  with  unusual  powers,  and  to  grant  him 
"  every  facility"  for  the  purpose  of  shipping  crews,  but  that  you 
had  yourself  "  determined  to  make  an  extraordinary  effort  to 
accomplisli  that  ohjectT  The  fruits  of  your  extra  labours  have 
been  seen  by  the  whole  nation  in  tlie  humihating  spectacle  of 
what,  by  "  extraordinary  efforts,"  you  have  been  able  to  accom- 
plish in  fourteen  months,  with  the  most  ample  means  at  your  dis- 
posal, towards  expediting  the  preparations  for  the  voyage. 

But  your  countrymen  do  not  know  what  the  "  every  facility" 
so  confidently  set  forth  in  your  report  has  been.  I  will  tell  them, 
and  then  leave  them  to  judge  whether  the  negative  or  positive 
quality  predominates.  You  granted  to  Commodore  Jones  the  ex- 
traordinary ^^ facility'''  of  shipping  mariners  at  the  regular  stations 
opened  for  the  general  service ;  precisely  what  you  allowed  to 
others  under  special  orders,  while  recruiting  for  the  crews  of  vessels 
destined  for  the  Pacific  and  Brazilian  stations,  and  nothing  more. 
Men  at  this  time  were  commanding  from  $16  to  $18  per  month 
in  the  merchant  service,  and  in  the  navy  from  $10  to  $12  per 
month  !  It  has  been  the  policy  of  other  countries  to  assign  sea- 
men sent  on  such  adventures  extra  pay  in  money  or  clothing,  of- 
ten in  both  ;  while  you  have  allowed  neither,  though  requested  to 
do  so.  Congress,  at  the  last  session,  made  a  special  grant  for  the 
increase  of  seamen's  wages,  every  particle  of  which  you  have 
withheld  from  the  sailors  being  shipped  for  the  expedition. 

You  vouchsafed  Commodore  Jones  the  "  facility"  of  detailing 
ofiiccrs  to  visit  New-London,  New-Bedford,  and  the  other  places 
where  it  was  supposed  crews  might  be  procured  ;  but  you  took 
care  to  withhold  from  those  officers  money  for  advances,  without 
which,  it  is  notorious,  men  cannot  be  induced  to  ship,  either  in  the 
merchant  or  naval  service.  I  have  it  from  the  lips  of  an  officer 
who  visited  New-London,  that  some  fifteen  or  twenty  prime 
hands,  who  were  ready  and  anxious  to  engage,  called  on  liim  at 
once;  but  not  finding  it  convenient  to  make  their  own  advances 
and  pay  their  own  passage  to  a  naval  rendezvous,  and  tlie  officer 
being  unprovided  with  funds  for  this  purpose,  he  did  not,  as  a 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  3l 

matter  of  course,  obtain  one  man  there  or  elsewhere.  A  few 
months  ago  it  was  believed  that  a  limited  number  of  men  for  the 
expedition  might  be  had  in  the  district,  and,  as  before,  an  officer 
was  detached  to  receive  proposals.  He  made  a  requisition  for 
one  thousand  dollars,  which  was  approved  by  the  commander  of 
the  squadron.  The  prospect  of  successful  recruiting  in  that  quar- 
ter was  even  better  than  had  been  anticipated.  Fourteen  sailors 
waited  on  the  appointed  agent  almost  as  soon  as  he  had  opened 
his  office  in  Alexandria.  They  were  told  to  call  and  sign  arti- 
cles on  the  next  day.  In  the  mean  time  the  officer  repaired  to 
Washington  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  MiV^y  dollar s^ 
the  usual  advance,  should  be  charged  to  the  men,  or  whether,  in 
compliance  with  the  special  provision  of  Congress,  that  sum  should 
be  allowed  as  bounty.  Before,  however,  he  had  time  to  make 
this  inquiry  of  the  naval  department,  he  received  from  you  an 
order  forthwith  to  return  the  money  placed  in  his  hands  to  the 
treasury,  as  also  to  tell  the  seamen  they  must  go  down  to  Norfolk 
upon  their  own  hook  !  and  ship  there.  Of  course,  not  one  of  them 
went. 

This  is  but  a  hasty  sketch  of  your  "  extraordinary  efforts"  to 
procure  men ;  they  are  a  fair  sample  of  all  your  other  "  extraor- 
dinary efforts,"  and  were,  of  course,  attended  by  the  same  "  ex- 
traordinary" success  !  When  to  these  are  added  the  enervating 
influence  of  your  ungracious  and  reluctant  action  throughout ;  the 
prevalence  of  the  belief  that  the  feelings  of  the  department  were 
arrayed  against  the  measure ;  the  uncertainty  when,  if  ever,  the 
flotilla  would  sail,  and  the  nonallowance  of  the  slighest  extra  en- 
couragement to  the  crews,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  the  tissue  of 
misrepresentation  which  mysteriously/  got  into  circulation  regard- 
ing the  enterprise  should  have  obtained  some  credence.  It  was 
reported,  I  presume  not  to  say  whence  such  reports  emanated, 
that  the  service  would  be  one  of  great  privation  to  the  crews,  and 
that  all  their  wages  would,  of  course,  be  expended  in  supplying 
their  clothing  for  the  cold  and  icy  latitudes  near  the  South  Pole ! 
Uniting  all  these  circumstances  to  the  other  "facilities'^  you  have 
afforded,  the  public  mind  will  have  little  difficulty  in  comprehend- 
ing the  full  force  of  your  "  insurmountahle  difficulties  in  procu- 
ring men,'"'  even  when  your  most  "  extraordinary  efforts''''  had  been 
put  forth  to  eflfect  that  end.     Seriously,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  assert 


32  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

that,  by  a  judicious  application  of  the  means  wiihin  your  control, 
the  whole  complement  of  every  vessel  might  have  been  shipped 
in  sixty,  or,  at  most,  ninety  days,  at  any  period  since  the  passage 
of  the  bill  by  Congress,  on  the  10th  of  May,  1836;  and  that,  too, 
without  interfering  with  the  protection  of  commerce,  or  in  the 
slightest  degree  deranging  the  naval  service  of  the  country.  In 
this  belief  I  have  found  myself  sustained  by  the  opinions  of  those 
much  more  experienced  in  such  matters  than  I  can  claim  to  be  ; 
and  I  shrewdly  suspect  that  3^ou  will  fmd  it  something  like  an 
^^insurmountable  difficulty^''  to  convince  the  people  of  this  country 
that,  with  the  most  ample  means  at  your  command,  nothing  more 
than  you  have  eiTecied  could  be  accomplished. 

In  speaking  of  the  vessels,  you  proceed  to  tell  the  president 
that  "  the  frigate  and  store-ship  which  ivere  on  the  stocks  when 
this  measure  teas  authoiized,  have  been  finished  and  equipped, 
and  are  now  receiving  their  crews^  What  unaccountable  hallu- 
cination could  have  possessed  your  mind  when  you  wrote  this 
sentence  ?  Did  you,  in  the  first  draught  of  your  report,  put  down 
•what  ought  to  have  been  the  condition  of  those  vessels,  and  after- 
ward forget  to  alter  it  ?  How  else  could  you  venture  to  tell  the 
president,  and,  through  him.  Congress  and  the  whole  country,  that 
the  frigate  was  finished  and  equipped,  and  was  receiving  her  men, 
when  the  fact  was,  the  frigate  at  that  time  was  not  finished,  not 
equipped,  nor  was  she  receiving  her  crew  ;  so  far  from  it,  she  had 
not  a  hulk-head  up  or  a  yarn  over  the  masthead,  and  it  ivas  not 
until  June,  six  months  after  this  official  statement,  that  she  was 
completed,  and  in  a  condition  to  receive  her  complement  of 
men  !  ! !  !  This  is  another  example  of  your  "  extraordinary  ef- 
forts'"' in  forwarding  the  outfit  of  the  expedition,  as  well  as  of  the 
accuracy  of  your  official  report. 

The  president  is  further  informed  that  you  had  not  "  yet  at- 
tempted to  organize  tlie  scientific  corps  for  the  expedition  ;"  but 
you  intimate  that  this  duty  may  be  performed  as  soon  "  05  ac- 
commodations can  he  afforded  them  in  the  vessels^  Strange  in- 
congruity this  !  In  the  first  place,  the  vessels  are  "finished"  and 
*'  receiving  their  crews  ;"  in  the  next  you  tell  us  that  the  organiza- 
tion uf  the  corps  is  delayed  until  the  vessels  are  finished  and 
ready  to  receive  them. 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  13 

I  have  pondered  a  good  deal  over  this  sentence,  and,  for  the  hfe 
of  me,  am  unable  to  discover  any  necessary  connexion  between 
the  organization  of  a  corps  of  scientific  men  and  the  completion 
of  the  apartments  intended  for  their  reception  on  shipboard.  I 
had  thought  these  labours  might  progress  simultaneously  ;  but  I 
forgot  you  were  then  making  "  extraordinary  efforts"  for  the  ship 
ment  of  seamen,  and,  witii  all  your  energies  thus  concentrated 
on  a  single  point,  might  not  be  able  to  attend  to  other  matters ! 

I  happen  to  know  something  about  the  appointment  of  this 
corps.  In  December  last,  a  distinguished  member  of  Congress, 
while  in  conversation  with  the  president,  remarked  that  no  ap- 
pointments had  been  made  by  you  in  the  civil  department.  The 
president  was  surprised  at  this  intelligence,  reached  out  his  hand, 
and  rang  the  bell.  A  messenger  appeared.  "  Tell  the  secretary 
of  the  navy  I  wish  to  see  him  at  twelve  o'clock."  I  do  not  know 
that  you  obeyed  this  summons,  nor  do  I  pretend  to  say  what  oc- 
curred at  the  interview ;  but  this  I  do  know,  that,  within  three 
days  from  that  time,  the  gentlemen  now  composing  the  scientific 
corps  received  their  commissions.  The  reluctance  with  which 
you  made  appointments  leaves  to  the  late  executive  the  sole  credit, 
so  far  as  you  are  concerned,  of  giving  to  the  expedition  and  the 
country  an  able,  eflicient,  scientific  board.  I  make  this  statement 
for  the  benefit  of  posterity ;  that,  in  coming  time,  should  disputes 
arise  as  to  the  honoured  spot  or  state  that  gave  you  birth,  the 
controversy  may  not  be  aggravated  by  any  conflicting  opinions  as 
to  the  degree  of  credit  due  to  you  for  the  share  you  had  in  equip- 
ping and  despatching  the  exploring  squadron  ! 

Do  you  remember  that,  for  some  time  previous  to  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  corps,  you  had  intermitted  all  action  in  reference  to 
the  expedition,  waiting,  as  you  said,  until  Congress  should  make 
further  appropriations ;  though  it  can  be  shown,  by  incontestible 
documentary  evidence,  that  there  was,  at  the  very  time,  more  than 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  the  past  year's  appropriation  yet 
unexpended  ?  I  almost  forget  what  tlie  president  told  you  when 
you  first  intimated  to  him  that  you  had  no  funds  with  which  to 
go  on.  He  had  always  a  most  happy  knack  in  stirring  you  up  to 
"  extraordinary  efforts,^'  and  the  only  misfortune  was,  that  severe 
indisposition  prevented  him,  towards  the  close  of  the  session,  from 

E 


34  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

giving  to  the  undertaking  and  to  you  that  minute  and  watchful  at- 
tention which  both  so  much  required. 


I  must  hurry  on  with  my  subject,  and  bring  this  letter  to  a 
close.  The  contest  before  the  last  Congress  requires  a  word.  I 
must  pass  over  points  upon  which  pages  might  be  written.  I 
cannot  stop  to  examine  your  report  in  its  financial  bearing,  much 
as  it  is  needed,  and  greatly  as  my  inclination  prompts  me  to  do 
so.  I  shall  not  even  attempt  to  describe  the  zeal  with  which  you 
■warmed  yourself  while  explaining  to  members  of  the  Senate  and 
the  house  the  ejiormous  demands  the  expedition  would  make  on 
the  public  treasury.  Your  name  was  frequently  used  as  authority 
for  stating  that  the  nation  was  about  to  squander  millions  upon  this 
extravagant  enieiyrise,  which  had  nothing  to  do  ivith  the  protection 
of  commerce^  and  was  only  to  earplore  high  latitudes  south !  ! !  ! 
The  frigate,  as  the  whole  country  will  remember,  was  the  special 
object  of  attack.  That  she  was  not  necessary  for  the  high  south- 
ern parallels,  and,  ergo,  not  necessary  for  the  expedition,  was  your 
argument.  Officers  of  the  navy  were  found  to  endorse  your  opin- 
ions. Perhaps  the  endorsement  was  mutual ;  at  least  it  was  so 
stated  on  the  floor  of  Congress.  Everything,  for  a  time,  promised 
you  success,  and  it  was  asserted  that  you  had  never  been  known 
to  enjoy  such  fine  spirits ;  while  the  friends  of  the  measure  at  a 
distance  were  full  of  despondency,  being  aware  that  the  objection 
to  the  frigate  was  not  from  friendly  motives  towards  the  enterprise. 
There  were  those  who  believed,  at  the  time,  that  the  design  was 
to  cut  off  the  frigate,  and  then  have  other  commanders  and  a  new 
organization  ;  but,  as  I  do  not  deal  with  motives,  but  with  acts,  I 
shall  let  that  pass. 

In  the  saloons  of  the  library,  in  the  gallery,  at  parties,  and  in 
messes,  the  merits  of  the  contest  were  much  discussed.  Your 
misrepresentations  of  the  purposes  of  the  undertaking  were  fully 
understood  by  its  friends  in  the  Senate  and  the  house,  and  you 
were  pitied  for  the  weakness  of  your  device.  The  members,  who 
had  honestly  doubted  the  propriety  of  em])loying  a  vessel  of  the 
class  alluded  to,  when  they  looked  into  the  true  objects  of  the  voy- 
age, yielded  their  assent,  and  voted  for  the  measure  ;  so  that,  by 
the  time  the  bill  of  appropriations  came  to  be  read  for  the  last  time, 
you  stood  "  alone  in  your  glory, '^  every  item  in  the  estimate  for 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  35 

the  present  organization  and  force  being  passed  by  an  overwhelm- 
ing majority. 

The  disingenuousness  of  the  endeavour  to  force  the  friends  of 
the  measure  into  a  false  position  was,  as  I  have  stated,  fully  ap- 
preciated ;  and  it  was  partly  from  compassion,  and  partly  in  conse- 
quence of  a  pledge  you  had  given,  that  no  animadversions  were 
made  upon  it  on  the  floor  of  Congress  !  The  pledge  I  refer  to 
was  pubhshed  by  you,  and  over  your  own  name,  on  the  19th  of 
January  last,  in  connexion  with  a  correspondence  you  had  carried 
on  with  Commodore  Jones.  You  there  distinctly  declared,  that 
while  you  were  opposed  to  so  large  a  force  being  sent  on  the  ex- 
pedition, "  yet  you  had  given  all  orders  that  you  considered  neces- 
sary for  fitting  it  out  upon  the  extensive  scale  adopted  ;  and 
should  continue  to  do  so  if  Congress  made  appropriations  agree- 
ably to  the  estimates  furnished  for  this  object !  /" 

Here  was  a  dehberate  promise,  a  solemn  pledge,  given  in  your 
official  character,  that  if  Congress  made  provision  for  the  outfit  on 
its  present  plan,  on  that  plan  and  with  the  required  force  should 
it  be  completed.  Congress  took  you  at  your  word  by  making 
the  appropriations  to  the  utmost  farthing ;  and,  before  the  nation, 
I  hold  you  to  the  strict  fulfilment  of  the  promise  you  volunteered. 
You  cannot  shrink  from  it  without  covering  yourself  w^ith  official 
dishonour  !  How  you  can  reconcile  you  course  of  conduct  since 
the  close  of  last  session,  with  this  public  pledge  thus  staring  you 
in  the  face,  is  a  problem  in  the  solution  of  which  your  official 
character  is  deeply  concerned  !  Deceive  not  yourself ;  the  public 
eye  is  upon  you,  and  no  sophistry  can  screen  you  from  that  rapidly- 
gathering  weight  of  your  country's  disapprobation  which,  it  re- 
quires no  horoscope  to  perceive,  is  destined  ere  long  to  fall  upon 
you.  To  avert  the  blow  entirely  is  now  beyond  your  power,  but 
you  may  weaken  its  force  by  immediate  and  faithful  effi^rts  in 
perfecting  the  outfit  and  expediting  the  departure  of  the  expedition ! 

I  shall  again  recur  to  your  report. 
I  have  the  honour  to  be 

Your  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

New- York,  July  21,  1837. 


36  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

VI. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 

The  portion  of  your  report  to  which  I  purpose  calhng  your  at- 
tention in  this  letter  reads  as  follows  :  "  From  several  learned  and 
philosophical  societies,  as  well  as  from  distinguished  individuals, 
I  have  received  the  most  ample  and  satisfactory  communications, 
embracing  all  the  various  subjects  which  it  would  be  necessary 
to  give  in  charge  to  the  gentlemen  who  are  to  conduct  the  scien- 
tific researches  which  form  the  most  important  objects  of  the  ex- 
pedition." 

With  a  superficial  observer,  this  sentence  is  calculated  to  gain 
you  credit,  because  it  conveys  something  like  an  expression  of 
liberahly.  I  regret  that  I  cannot  award  to  you  the  meed  of  praise 
due  to  such  a  feeling.  I  cannot  persuade  myself  that  you  de- 
serve it.  Connected  with  this  subject,  I  do  not  consider  that  your 
prejudices  will  permit  the  indulgence  of  liberal  sentiments  ;  yet 
I  have  no  idea  that  the  sentence  quoted  came  from  your  pen  by 
accident.  It  is  full  of  meaning,  if  not  of  design.  Like  your  state- 
ment that  to  approach  as  near  as  possible  to  the  South  Pole  was 
the  object  of  the  enterprise,  it  is,  to  say  the  least,  an  evasion  of 
the  true  purposes  designed  to  be  accomplished.  The  induce- 
ment to  make  such  a  statement  will  become  manifest  if  it  be  rec- 
ollected that  a  portion  of  the  public  men  in  this  country  entertain 
the  opinion  that  the  government  of  the  United  States  has  no 
power  under  the  Constitution  to  send  out  an  expedition  solely  for 
scientific  purposes.  Stripped  of  its  commercial  character,  separ- 
ated from  all  objects  of  immediate  and  palpable  utility,  thrown  for 
support  upon  its  abstract  merits  as  a  medium  of  scientific  re- 
search, you  knew  full  well  the  quarter  whence  opposition  to  the 
undertaking  might  be  anticipated,  and  from  what  quarter  it  would 
have  come  had  you  not  overrated  the  weight  of  your  official  influ- 
ence. Here,  then,  we  have  a  key  to  the  otherwise  inexplicable 
mystery,  that  expressions  of  such  seeming  liberality  should  owe 
paternity  to  you. 

No  man  can  appreciate  more  fully  than  I  do  the  high  objects 


LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN.  iff' 

committed  to  the  liands  of  the  gentlemen  composing  the  scientific 
corps.  Not  only  may  they  enlarge  the  boundaries  of  science  and 
add  lustre  to  our  national  character,  but,  by  examining  and  devel- 
oping the  resources  and  capacities  of  the  countries  and  islands  to 
be  visited,  they  may  even  enrich  the  freight  of  commerce  itself. 
Yet,  notwithstanding  all  this,  I  have  never  conceived  scientific  re- 
search to  be  the  main  object  of  the  expedition  any  more  than  that 
the  attainment  of  high  latitudes  south  was  its  principal  purpose 
and  design. 

"  Fourteen  gentlemen,"  you  inform  us,  "  have  been  appointed 
to  this  corps,  eminent  for  their  proficiency  in  those  sciences  which 
are  connected  with  natural  history,  or  eminent  in  the  arts  con- 
nected with  the  subjects  of  natural  history.  No  one  has  as  yet 
been  assigned  to  the  departments  of  astronomy,  geography,  and 
hydrography.     With  this  exception  the  corps  is  nearly  complete." 

If  the  great  design  of  the  expedition  be  to  go  as  near  as  practi- 
cable to  the  South  Pole,  for  what  purpose  do  you  send  a  botanist 
to  that  region  where  no  vegetation  exists  ?  Why  do  you  incur  the 
expense  of  sending  a  philologist  to  attend  to  the  interesting  depart- 
ment of  language  where  there  are  no  inhabitants  ?  What  object 
is  proposed  by  sending  an  entomologist  in  those  high  latitudes, 
when  a  single  hug  may  not  be  found  within  the  Antarctic  circle  ? 
And  wherefore  should  you  despatch  a  portrait-painter  to  the  Polar 
Seas,  unless,  indeed,  you  wish  him  to  exercise  his  art  in  sketch- 
ing the  likenesses  of  seals  and  sea-elephants  ?  Thus,  we  perceive, 
the  hoo  main  objects  of  the  expedition,  as  set  forth  by  you,  are 
absurdly  in  contradiction  of  each  other. 

I  fe-el,  however,  that  it  is  a  small  business  to  dwell  on  your  in- 
congruities, and  have  alluded  to  these  matters  only  for  the  sake 
of  putting  you  right,  and  of  entering  my  protest  against  this  fur- 
ther official  misstatement  of  the  leading  purposes  of  the  enterprise. 
Placed  on  its  true  basis,  it  is  defensible  on  the  broad  principle  of 
constitutional  power  as  well  as  of  national  policy.  To  provide 
efficient  protection  for  our  commerce,  in  every  region  with  which 
we  have  commercial  intercourse,  and  to  extend  it  wherever  it  is 
susceptible  of  advantageous  increase,  is  the  bounden  and  acknowl- 
edged duty  of  government.  For  these  noble  and  useful  ends  was 
the  undertaking  originated  and  authorized.  Every  memorial 
transmitted  to   Congress,  every  speech  and  report  made  by  its 


38  LETTETIS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

members,  bears  directly  and  unequivocally  upon  these  points,  and 
proves  that,  to  them,  all  others  were  subsidiary.  Such,  then,  being 
the  paramount  objects  in  view,  it  was  decided  that  the  opportuni- 
ties which  would  be  afforded  by  the  contemplated  explorations 
and  surveys  should  not  be  lost  to  the  cause  of  science  ;  and  Jience, 
by  the  direction  of  the  executive,  with  tlie  sanction  of  Congress, 
provision  was  made  for  an  able  scientific  corps  ;  not,  I  repeat,  as 
a  primary,  but  as  a  collateral  department,  which  neither  interest, 
the  spirit  of  the  age,  nor  a  regard  for  our  station  among  the  en- 
lightened of  all  nations  would  permit  us  to  overlook  in  the  gen- 
eral organization. 

But,  sir,  for  the  still  further  illustration  of  your  "  extraordinary 
efforts"  and  desire  "  to  inevent  delay, '^  I  will  suppose  you  to  have 
been  sincere  in  stating  that  the  "  scientific  researches  of  these 
gentlemen  form  the  leading  objects  of  the  expedition."  Now  I 
think  it  a  fair  supposition  that  the  most  important  objects  of  any 
plan  should  receive  the  first  attention,  and,  at  all  events,  that  they 
ought  not  to  be  the  last  considered.  What  has  been  the  fact  as 
regards  you  ? 

Let  us  see.  Three  months,  ivanting  tivo  days,  after  the  bill 
had  passed,  you  sent  an  agent  to  Europe,  as  vou  inform  us  in 
your  communication  to  Congress  of  the  6th  February,  for  the 
purpose  of  preventing  "  any  delay  that  might  arise  from  the  ivant 
of  w.athematical,  astronomical,  and  philosophical  instruments, 
hooks,  maps,  charts,''''  &c.  I.  can  hardly  forbear  a  smile  when  I 
read  your  remark  about  preventing  delay !  Why  were  not  the 
^^ fourteen  gentlemen  eminent  for  their  scientific  attainments''^ 
consulted  before  the  agent  departed  ?  Or,  if  they  were  at  that 
time  unselected,  it  only  shows  that  you  had  suffered  three  months 
to  elapse  without  having  attended  to  "  the  most  imiiortant  objects 
of  the  expedition  /" 

Your  agent  was  furnished  with  the  most  "  ample  means,"  and 
to  liis  discretion  and  knowledge  was  confided  the  duly  of  pro- 
curing all  that  was  deemed  necessary,  as  regarded  books  and  in- 
struments, for  many  branches  of  science  of  which  \\c  had  not  the 
slightest  knowledge.  This  gentleman,  you  tell  us,  returned  on  the 
23d  of  January,  ''having  performed  (he  duty  assigned  to  him  in 
the  most  successful  manner !  /"  The  agent,  it  would  seem,  en- 
tertained the  same  opinion  vou  have  expressed  in  this  endorse- 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  39" 

ment.  With  reference  to  the  instruments  brought  over,  in  his 
report,  which  forms  a  supplement  to  your  own,  he  discourses  thus  : 
"  I  beheve  they  comprise  all  that  can  in  amj  way  he  useful  for 
scientific  purposes  on  any  expedition,  and  are  all  of  them  of  the 
very  best  construction T  These  assertions,  which  Humholdt  would 
not  have  ventured,  are  further  confirmed  in  the  next  sentence, 
where  it  is  said,  ''  I  trust  they  ivill  be  found  fully  adequate  to  the 
wants  of  the  expedition." 

Among  these  much-extolled  instruments  "  not  to  be  procured 
in  the  United  States,"  I  find  mentioned  two  astronomical  clocks, 
one  journeyman's  clock,  two  astronomical  telescopes,  and  forty- 
one  chronometers.  I  have  made  inquiry  if  any  American  maker 
of  astronomical  clocks  had  been  called  on  by  you  to  give  a  proof 
of  his  skill,  but  have  been  unable  to  learn  that  any  such  had,  or 
has  been,  encouraged  to  furnish  a  specimen  article  ;  although  it 
cannot  be  controverted  that  astronomical  clocks,  unsurpassed  in 
accuracy,  and  which  their  manufacturers  are  willing  to  warrant 
equal  to  any  which  can  be  imported  from  foreign  workshops, 
have  for  several  years  been  made  in  this  country.  I  am  equally 
at  a  loss  to  know  for  what  reason  the  admirable  reflecting  tele- 
scopes of  Halcomb  were  wholly  overlooked  in  your  attention  to 
the  outfit  of  that  department  which  embraced  the  "  principal  ob- 
ject" of  the  expedition.  I  have  read  detailed  accounts  of  the  su- 
perior excellence  of  these  telescopes  from  the  pens  of  those  in 
whose  opinions  on  such  subjects  I  place  the  highest  confidence, 
attesting  their  accuracy,  portability,  and  the  ease  with  which  they 
may  be  managed  It  is  the  more  astonishing  that  these  matters 
should  have  been  neglected  by  you,  inasmuch  as  you  have  so 
long  been  a  strenuous  advocate  for  the  patronage  of  domestic 
skill  and  industry  !  In  like  manner,  I  cannot  help  thinking  that 
at  least  one  or  two  of  those  highly-finished  box  chronometers 
made  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  which  have  been  lauded  and 
honoured  with  premiums  by  men  who  have  their  eyes  open,  and 
tvho  try  to  keep  up  with  the  time  of  day,  should  have  been  or- 
dered. It  would  have  been  a  trial  of  skill  to  which  our  artists 
would  have  brought  a  full  share  of  national  pride,  and  the  expe- 
dition being  a  national  enterprise,  they  ought  to  have  been  grati- 
fied.    It  was  due  to  them,  and  equally  due  to  the  country. 

If,  as  you  assert,  the  science  connected  with  natural  history 


40  LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN. 

(by  which  I  suppose  you  to  mean  the  several  sciences  included 
under  the  general  term  of  natural  history)  constitutes  the  main  ob- 
jects of  the  expedition,  how  did  it  occur  that  your  envoy  failed  to 
procure  any  apparatus  for  research  in  this  branch,  if  we  except  a 
case  of  drawing  instruments  with  Cameras  Lucidas  ?  To  seven, 
if  not  more,  of  the  fourteen  gentlemen  forming  the  scientific 
board,  microscopes  of  the  most  approved  construction,  such  as 
are  made  only  in  Europe,  were,  I  should  imagine,  indispensable. 
But,  finding  no  such  articles  on  the  list,  I  suppose  it  was  con- 
sidered that  everything  earthly,  aerial,  or  aquatic  too  small  to  be 
seen  with  the  naked  eye  was  too  insignificant  for  the  notice  of 
savans  on  "  any  expedition  !" 

Again  :  had  the  individual  deputed,  who  performed  his  mission 
in  "  the  most  successful  manner,"  looked  into  some  of  the  books 
he  brought  with  liim,  he  might  have  learned  that,  in  making 
magnetic  experiments,  modern  observers  think  that  a  rarefied  me- 
dium is  highly  important,  and  that  nothing  is  more  prejudicial  to 
accuracy  in  their  results  than  the  variable  influence  of  the  atmo- 
sphere. This  theory  has  been  amply  explained  by  philosophers 
in  England ;  and  long  series  of  experiments,  testing  and  proving 
its  correctness,  have  been  made  in  the  United  States.  The  pro- 
curement of  astronomical  apparatus,  how^ever,  may  have  kept  the 
attention  of  your  agent  so  constantly  fixed  upon  the  heavens,  that 
he  unconsciously  omitted  to  notice  these  trifles  connected  with 
earth ! 

Is  it  to  be  presumed  that  you  consider  the  meteorological  de- 
partment well  supplied  with  instruments  without  some  apparatus 
for  investigating  the  state  of  atmospheric  electricity  ?  Or,  as  such 
apparatus  is  not  named  in  the  list  before  referred  to,  are  we  to 
conclude  that  electricity  does  not  form  a  subject  of  attention  in 
"any  expedition"  fitted  out  under  your  direction,  even  when  sci- 
entific pursuits  are  its  "leading  objects?" 

The  agent  very  properly  returns  his  acknowledgments  to  the 
savans  abroad  whom  he  consulted  and  who  afl'orded  liim  impor- 
tant assistance. 

The  individuals  enumerated,  many  of  tlieni  high  in  rank,  are 
certainly  eniincnl  in  hydrography,  astronomy,  natural  philosophy, 
and  as  makers  of  philosophical  instruments.  This  is  all  very  well, 
so  far  as  it  goes  ;  but  why  was  not  some  portion  of  the  three 


LETTERS    OF   A    CITIZEN.  41 

months  which  intervened  between  the  passage  of  the  bill  and  de- 
parture of  the  agent  occupied  in  consulting  the  naturalists  of  this 
country  ?  Had  such  a  course  been  pursued,  the  labours  of  your 
envoy  might  have  been  performed  much  more  usefully,  as  well  as 
more  creditably  for  the  department  and  the  nation.  But,  as  this 
was  not  done,  he  might  have  advised  with  some  of  the  most  cele- 
brated naturalists  of  Great  Britain,  France,  and  Germany,  partic- 
ularly with  those  who  had  accompanied  former  expeditions  into 
the  very  seas  our  squadron  is  intended  to  explore.  Had  this  plan 
been  followed,  think  you  they  would  have  agreed  with  him  in  his 
statement,  even  with  the  high  authority  of  your  own  official  en- 
dorsement upon  its  back,  that  the  books  and  instruments,  as  ex- 
hibited per  list,  comprised  all  that  would  in  any  way  be  useful 
in  the  different  divisions  of  science  ? 

I  am  not  a  little  puzzled  with  this  heterogeneous  melange  of  sci- 
entific works  which  have  been  brought  hither.  So  far  as  respects 
the  few  which  relate  to  natural  history,  the  recent  French  voyages 
excepted,  I  scarcely  know  how  an  equal  number  of  more  useless 
volumes  could  have  been  selected.  I  should  be  glad  to  see  you 
or  the  agent  point  out  more  than  ten  works,  throwing  aside  the 
voyages,  that  any  competent  naturalist  would  have  ordered.  I 
can  only  name  seven  :  Richardson's  Fauna,  Bennister's  Entomol- 
ogy, Cuvier's  Fishes,  Landon's  Encyclopedia  of  Plants,  Genera 
of  Recent  and  Fossil  Shells,  Yarrel's  British  Fishes,  and  Turner's 
Fuci.  Magazines  of  Natural  History,  like  the  Geological  and 
Linnaean  Transactions,  are  not  needed  ;  though  containing  many 
important  papers,  the  proper  place  for  such  ponderous  tomes  is  the 
shelves  of  a  library.  The  naturalists  will  require  luorking  books, 
manuals,  and  models ;  and  these,  sir,  have  not  been  provided. 

The  list  of  voyages,  I  am  happy  to  find,  is  far  more  complete, 
although  three  which  may  be  termed  scientific  pa7'  excellence  are 
not  included  in  it :  viz.,  Pallas,  Saussure,  and  the  complete  works 
of  Humboldt.  In  a  word,  the  catalogue  is  in  itself  sufficient  evi- 
dence that  no  naturalist  had  any  share  in  its  adoption.  Indeed,  I 
am  only  in  doubt  whether  the  assortment  was  made  by  the  agent, 
or  whether  he  merely  gave  a  carte  blanche  to  a  bookseller,  and  re- 
quested him  to  furnish  as  many  cubic  feet  of  works  on  natural 
history  as  he  thought  might  be  necessary  for  "  any  scientific  ex- 
pedition." 

F 


42  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

To  be  Ignorant  of  natural  history  is  certainly  no  discredit  to  the 
gentleman  you  commissioned,  and  I  have  no  wish  to  speak  of  his 
labours  with  disparagement ;  I  merely  regret  that  he  should  so 
confidently  have  volunteered  an  opinion  in  his  official  report,  that 
he  had  selected  all  the  books  and  instruments  which  "  could  be  in 
any  way  useful  for  scientific  purposes  on  any  expedition ;"  and 
that  you,  in  the  face  of  the  science  of  the  whole  country,  should 
have  so  complacently  signified  your  concurrence  in  the  statement. 
Your  own  attainments  in  botany,  before  botany  became  a  science, 
should  have  prompted  the  reflection,  that  the  field  of  human  sci- 
ence is  too  vast  to  justify  even  one  member  of  the  corps  in  judg- 
ing of  the  wants  of  others  in  distinct  departments.  The  truth  of 
this  position  is  illustrated  by  your  present  defective  preparations 
for  scientific  researches.  After  obstinately  refusing  to  assemble 
the  scientific  corps,  and  assign  to  each  member  his  respective 
duty  since  December  last,  though  frequently  urged  to  do  so,  you 
now  find  the  "  leading  objects"  of  the  enterprise  almost  entirely 
unprovided  for. 

On  the  fourth  of  this  month  you  put  the  corps  on  duty,  and 
gave  them  the  means  to  prepare  for  the  voyage.  They  are  now, 
as  I  learn,  actively  employed  ;  and,  by  ransacking  public  and  pri- 
vate libraries,  may,  it  is  hoped,  remedy  the  evils  occasioned  by 
your  imperfect  and  tardy  arrangements.  Thus  you  find,  sir,  that 
after  an  interval  of  fifteen  months,  and  subsequent  to  your  official 
announcement  that  all  the  tools  of  the  naturalists  were  provided, 
hooks  have  still  to  he  imported,  and  orders  noiv  to  he  given  for 
the  construction  of  instruments  !  !  !  If  this  be  good  faith  in  the 
discharge  of  a  high  trust  committed  to  your  hands,  then  I  should 
be  glad  to  know  what  may  be  deemed  a  derehction  of  duty. 

In  the  sentence  already  quoted,  you  inform  us,  "no  one  has  yet 
been  assigned  to  the  department  of  astronomy,  geography,  and 
hydrography."  I  have  understood  the  selection  of  a  competent 
person  for  this  station  has  given  you  mucli  solicitude,  and  that  you 
have  not  even  yet  been  successful  in  finding  one  whom  you  could 
approve.  1  am  not  sorry  that  in  this  matter  you  have  been  dis- 
appointed, because  I  unfeigriedly  believe  that  the  appointment  of 
an  astronomer  to  the  expedition  woukl  l)o  an  act  of  injustice  to 
the  naval  officers  employed,  who,  from  their  attainments  and  pro- 
fession, might  be  relied  on  for  the  hydrographical  labours  to  be 


LETTERS    Ot'    A    CITIZEN.  43- 

performed.  In  a  communication  bearing  your  name,  which  ap- 
peared in  the  "  Washington  Globe"  of  the  18th  January  last,  you 
hold  the  following  language  : 

"  From  the  moment  this  expedition  was  authorized  by  Congress, 
I  considered  that,  as  its  dangers,  fatigues,  and  hardships  were  to 
be  borne  by  the  officers  of  the  navy,  they  ought  to  participate 
largely  in  its  advantages  and  honours ;  and  that,  in  all  cases  in 
which,  from  their  literature  and  science,  they  were  competent  to 
the  task  of  promoting  the  great  objects  of  the  expedition,  they 
were  to  be  preferred  to  citizens  equally  competent,  but  not  sub- 
ject to  like  responsibilities." 

Although  I  deemed  the  language  here  used  was  put  forth 
rather  to  foment  jealousies  between  the  officers  and  the  natural- 
ists, or  other  citizens  to  be  employed,  than  as  an  exposition  of  a 
rule  by  which,  from  a  high  sense  of  duty,  you  felt  constrained  to 
act ;  and  while  I  cannot  but  repudiate  the  invidious  distinctions, 
untrue  in  fact,  which  you  have  drawn  between  the  labours  that 
the  members  of  the  expedition,  naval  and  civil,  will  respectively 
be  required  to  perform,  as  well  as  the  supposition  that  the  hon- 
ours which  the  one  class  might  acquire  could,  with  liberal  minds, 
disparage  the  just  pretensions  of  the  other ;  yet,  in  this  case,  I 
think  the  navy  would  have  some  ground  for  complaint  should  the 
overshadowing  appointment  of  an  astronomer  be  made,  unless 
practical  results  can  be  expected  from  his  services.  On  this 
point  I  have  doubts,  and  I  state  them  for  your  consideration  with- 
out any  unbecoming  confidence  in  my  own  opinion. 

I  should,  however,  be  gratified  to  see  you  point  out  what  astro- 
nomical calculations  can  possibly  be  performed  which  will  not 
fall  within  the  province  of  the  nautical  department,  and  which 
practical  navigators  are  not  most  likely  to  make  with  accuracy. 
Have  you  reflected  upon  the  means  indispensable  to  the  success 
of  purely  astronomical  inquiry  ?  Are  you  prepared  to  ask  of  Con- 
gress the  funds  for  erecting  an  elevated  stationary  observatory  for 
the  permanent  adjustment  of  costly  and  complicated  instruments, 
without  which  an  astronomer  can  do  little  or  nothing  ?  Have  you 
taken  into  consideration  the  time  which  must  be  uninterruptedly 
devoted  at  one  place  to  comparative  observations  of  the  celestial 
bodies  as  they  move  in  the  hemisphere  ?  Or  do  you  believe  these 
observations  can  be  prosecuted  on  shipboard  underanged  by  the 


44  LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN. 

unsteady  oscillating  motion  of  the  vessel  ?  If  you  have  not 
thought  of  these  things,  ay,  and  provided  for  them  also,  the  ap- 
pointment of  an  astronomer  really  appears  to  me  little  less  than 
ridiculous,  and  will  certainly  expose  you  to  the  sneering  charge 
of  having  made  a  pompous  preparation  in  vain^  and  for  an  object 
impossible  to  be  accomplished. 

Indeed,  there  would  be  something  of  vain  assumption  and  dan- 
gerous temerity  in  making  such  an  appointment,  even  if  the  as- 
tronomer were  to  be  left  for  several  years  upon  a  sequestered 
island  or  inland  mountain  to  pursue  his  studies,  with  the  best  ap- 
paratus the  world  could  afford,  and  corresponding  experience  and 
learning  ;  for  it  cannot  be  forgotten  that  the  most  eminent  living 
astronomer,  surrounded  by  every  facility  that  a  nation  uncalcula- 
tingly  munificent  in  the  cause  of  science  could  supply,  has  been 
devoting  four  or  five  years  to  the  stars  of  the  southern  hemi- 
sphere, and  has  not  yet  made  known  any  results  to  serve  as  a 
guide  to  a  competitor  in  the  same  arduous  field.  There  is  not  a 
constellation,  nor  is  there  a  single  star,  which  could  be  seen  by 
this  expedition  in  the  highest  southern  latitudes  at  which  it  might 
arrive,  that  has  not  been  already  seen  by  Sir  John  Herschel  at 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  cost  to  the  British  government  of 
his  astronomical  researches  alone  will  not  be  less  than  half  a 
million  of  dollars. 

Sir,  nothing  can  be  done  in  this  voyage  of  exploration  towards 
mapping  the  heavens.  Neither  the  means  allowed  nor  the  na- 
ture of  the  enterprise  admit  of  such  results,  and  the  addition  of 
an  astronomer  to  the  scientific  corps  will,  in  my  opinion,  be  found, 
in  practice,  worse  than  useless. 

The  department  of  physical  science,  or  natural  and  experimental 
philosophy,  is  already  filled.  The  naval  ofiicers  of  the  squadron 
are  qualified  to  perform  the  hydrographical  labours  which  appro- 
priately belong  to  their  profession.  If  these  are  not  to  be  a  por- 
tion of  their  duties,  then  what  did  you  mean  by  alluding  to  the 
"  labours,  hardships,  (Sec.  ?"  If  they  ore  to  be  so  considered, 
should  not  those  who  render  the  service  receive  the  credit  ?  But, 
sir,  I  will  go  si  ill  farther,  and  say  that  the  hydrographical  opera- 
tions can  be  conducted  only  by  the  naval  ofiicers.  This  will  be- 
come apparent  when  you  reflect  that  the  vessels,  while  surveying 
a  group  of  islands,  will  frequently  be  separated  from  each  other, 


LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND   TO    THE    NAVY.  45 

and  that  the  positions  of  different  members  of  the  cluster  must 
be  defined  by  the  officers  of  the  respective  vessels.  These  ob- 
servations, w^hen  reported  to  the  commander  on  board  the  frigate 
(which  vs^ill  be  the  depot  of  all  reports,  naval  or  civil),  can,  by  the 
aid  of  skilful  draughtsmen,  be  reduced  to  regular  and  consecu- 
tive charts  ;  and  this  will  be  the  continual  process  throughout  the 
duration  of  the  voyage. 

I  must  now  take  my  leave  of  you  for  the  present,  and.  with  the 
addition  of  one  more  letter,  may  probably  close  altogether. 
Though,  as  I  promised  in  the  beginning,  I  have  written  you 
freely  in  these  letters,  you  have  no  just  cause  of  complaint.  If, 
in  the  exposition  I  have  given  of  some  of  your  official  acts,  there 
has  been  some  occasional  appearance  of  severity,  you  know  full 
well  that  they  were,  in  comparison,  but  as  the  dewdrops  of  mercy 
to  what  I  might  have  said  had  I  gone  into  an  examination  of  your 
doings  throughout  the  entire  history  of  the  naval  equipment  of  the 
squadron,  as  well  as  in  reference  to  other  points  passed  by  with 
out  remark  or  allusion.  For  the  opinions  advanced  and  facts 
stated  I  am  alone  and  singly  responsible  ;  and  if  they  be  contro- 
verted, I  hold  myself  at  all  times  prepared  to  give  my  reasons  for 
the  former  and  my  proofs  of  the  latter. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be 

Your  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

New-York,  July  28,  1837, 


DEFENCE  OF  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY. 

We  give  place,  and  a  prominent  one,  most  cheerfully  to  the  following  defence  of  the 
secretary  of  the  navy  against  the  censures  of  our  correspondent  "  Citizen."  "  A  Friend 
to  the  Navy,"  maintainmg  the  anonymous  himself,  must,  however,  allow  the  same  priv- 
ilege to  his  interlocutor,  and  will  excuse  us  for  erasing  a  name  which  he  uses  apparently 
with  invidious  purpose. — Editor  of  the  New-  Fork  Times. 

I. 

As  statements  calculated  to  mislead  the  public  mind  upon  the 
subject  of  the  South  Sea  exploring  expedition  are  published  in 
the  Times  under  the  signature  of  a  "  Citizen,"  you  will  no  doubt 
cheerfully  afford  an  opportunity,  through  the  same  medium,  of 


46  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

correcting  those  statements  by  a  narrative  of  facts  not  generally 
known,  and  which  must  be  understood  before  any  just  opinion 
can  be  formed  of  the  charges  exhibited  by  this  citizen  against  the 
secretary  of  the  navy. 

In  consequence  of  a  report  of  Lieutenant  Tattnall,  on  his  return 
from  a  cruise  to  the  coast  of  Mexico  in  the  Pioneer,  one  of  the 
barks  which  had  been  constructed  for  the  South  Sea  surveying 
and  exploring  expedition,  that  she  was  unfit  for  the  service  ;  and 
from  reports  from  various  quarters  that  the  schooner  Pilot,  built 
for  the  same  expedition,  was  a  dull  sailer,  as  well  as  an  unsafe 
vessel,  Commodore  Jones  was  instructed  to  make  an  experimental 
cruise  with  the  Pioneer  and  Pilot,  together  with  the  bark  Con- 
sort, in  order  to  ascertain  how  far  those  vessels  might  be  consid- 
ered as  safe  and  proper  for  this  expedition.  After  an  absence  of 
eight  days  Commodore  Jones  returned  and  reported  favourably 
of  the  vessels,  but  recommended  that  they  should  be  taken  into 
drydock  and  examined  ;  in  consequence  of  which,  Commodores 
Chauncey,  Morris,  Warrington,  Patterson,  and  Wadsworih  were 
appointed  commissioners  to  examine  into  the  condition  of  those 
vessels,  and  further  to  inquire  whether  the  exploring  squadron 
could  not  be  reduced  in  number  of  vessels  and  men  with  advan- 
tage to  the  country,  and  without  prejudice  to  the  great  objects  of 
the  expedition. 

This  measure  has  excited  the  rage  of  this  "  Citizen,"  who,  in 
your  paper  of  the  29th  of  June,  and  of  subsequent  dates,  comes 
out  in  a  virulent  attack  upon  the  professional  character  and  con- 
duct of  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  accusing  him  of  a  total  neglect 
of  duty  in  promoting  the  expedition,  and  of  being  governed  by 
motives  of  hostility  to  the  measure.  He  further  accuses  him  of 
a  wish  to  defeat  the  enterprise  by  reducing  the  squadron  to  a 
smaller  compass,  and  of  deceiving  the  commissioners  as  to  the 
great  objects  of  the  expedition. 

This  angry  "  Citizen"  is,  no  doubt,  Mr. ,  who  has  suc- 
ceeded in  producing  an  impression  through  the  country  that  this 
is  his  expedition  ;  an  impression  much  strengthened  by  the  publi- 
cation, in  October  last,  of  his  address,  delivered  on  the  3d  of  April 
of  the  last  year  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives  be- 
fore members  of  the  two  houses  of  Congress  and  others,  together 
with  letters  addressed  to  him  on  the  subject  of  this  expedition,  in 


LETTERS    OF    A   FRIEND   TO    THE    NAVY.  4? 

which  he  is  exceedingly  magnified,  especially  in  one  from  Captain 
T.  Ap.  C.  Jones,  since  appointed  commander  of  the  squadron, 
who  considers  him  the  originator  of  the  voyage ;  and  to  whom, 
with  reference  to  this  expedition,  he  addresses  this  language : 
"  Who  can  bring  so  much  valuable  knowledge,  derived  from  va- 
rious sources,  some  of  ivhich  you  alone  have  been  permitted  to 
draw  from  as  you  could  1  I  mean  not  to  flatter  when  I  say,  not 
another  who  is  a  citizen  of  the  United  States."  So  that  Commo- 
dore Jones  looks  up  to  Mr. as  possessing  so  much  valuable 

knowledge  upon  the  subject  of  the  exploring  expedition,  that  he 
has  no  equal  among  the  citizens  of  the  United  States.  How  far 
this  superior  knowledge  is  to  influence  Commodore  Jones  in  di- 
recting the  movements  of  the  exploring  squadron  remains  to  be 
seen. 

Mr. ,  in  his  address,  page  seventy-four,  says,  "  the  amount 

of  this  power  is  a  question  upon  which  there  can  be  but  little  dif- 
ference of  opinion  among  those  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
subject ;  the  best  informed  are  unanimous  in  their  opinion  that 
there  should  be  a  well-appointed  frigate  and  five  other  vessels  ; 
twice  that  number  would  find  enough,  and  more  than  they  could 
do." 

Here  is  the  origin  of  the  plan  of  six  ships  for  this  expedition, 
and  one  of  them  a  frigate.  Such  a  force  as  never  yet  went  upon 
such  an  expedition. 

Such  was  the  force  required  by  Mr. ;  such  is  the  force 

Commodore  Jones  now  requires,  and  without  which  he  considers 
the  expedition  cannot  be  complete  or  effective.  But  what  are  the 
words  of  the  act  authorizing  the  expedition  ? 

"  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he  hereby  is, 
authorized  to  send  out  a  surveying  and  exploring  expedition  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean  and  the  South  Seas,  and  for  that  purpose  to  employ 
a  sloop-of-ivar,  and  to  purchase  or  provide  such  other  smaller 
vessels  as  may  be  necessary  and  proper  to  render  the  expedition 
efl^icient  and  useful,"  &;c. 

It  w^as  to  the  representations  of  Commodore  Jones  that  less 
force  than  one  frigate  of  the  second  class,  two  barks,  a  store-ship, 
and  a  schooner,  would  not  answer  the  purposes  of  the  expedition, 
that  President  Jackson  consented  to  the  employment  of  so  large  a 
force.     It  is  idle  to  pretend  that  the  plan  of  five  vessels  originated 


48  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

with  him.  He,  in  fact,  wanted  no  greater  force  than  would  meet 
the  just  views  of  Congress  and  the  expectations  of  the  public. 

The  secretary  of  the  navy,  in  his  annual  report  of  the  third  of 
December  last,  makes  the  following  statement  to  the  president : 

"  When,  at  the  commencement  of  the  last  and  preceding  ses- 
sions of  Congress,  it  was  recommended  that  a  considerable  addi- 
tion should  be  made  to  the  number  of  ships  in  commission  to 
meet  the  exigences  of  the  rapidly-increasing  commerce  of  our 
country,  it  was  perceived  that,  should  the  measure  be  adopted,  as 
it  has  been,  by  the  liberal  appropriations  of  Congress,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  adopt,  at  the  same  time,  measures  for  increasing  the 
number  of  our  seamen.  The  most  obvious  means  of  accomplish- 
ing this  object  was  the  one  recommended,  of  enlisting  into  the 
service  of  our  navy  boys  over  the  age  of  thirteen  and  under  the 
age  of  eighteen,  until  they  shall  arrive  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  A  bill  for  this  purpose  has  been  before  the  Senate  for 
the  two  last  sessions,  which,  it  is  confidently  hoped,  will  become 
a  law  during  the  approaching  session  of  Congress.  In  the  mean 
lime,  as  a  larger  number  of  seamen  is  required  for  the  merchant 
service  than  usual,  and  as  there  is  at  present  actually  in  the  naval 
service  of  the  United  States  one  fifth  more  seamen  than  were  em- 
ployed three  years  ago,  and  a  greater  number  than  has  been  em- 
ployed at  any  time  within  the  last  fifteen  years,  some  difficulty 
must  necessarily  exist  in  recruiting  seamen  required  for  immedi- 
ate service. 

"  The  terms  of  service  of  the  seamen  on  the  Pacific  and  Bra- 
zilian stations  are  about  to  expire.  Those  on  the  Pacific  station 
have  been  ordered  home,  but  will  not  probably  arrive  before  the 
middle  of  January  next.  In  the  mean  time  the  North  Carolina  is 
ordered  to  that  station,  requiring  immediately  a  large  number  of 
seamen,  and  Captain  John  B.  Nicholson  has  been  selected  to  sail 
in  the  razee  Independence,  to  relieve  the  commander  on  the  coast 
of  Brazil,  who,  when  relieved,  will  return  with  the  seamen  belong- 
ing to  his  station.  The  Independence  will  require  a  large  num- 
ber of  seamen  to  complete  her  crew.  Besides,  it  is  important 
that  each  of  these  ships  should  be  attended  by  one  or  two  smaller 
vessels ;  but  this  is  impracticable  in  the  present  state  of  the  ser- 
vice. 

'•  It  will  easily  be  perceived,  therefore,  that  the  force  wanted  for 


LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY.  49 

the  protection  of  commerce  exceeds  the  means  of  supply  which  this 
department  can  immediately  bring  into  operation.  When,  there- 
fore, on  the  18ih  of  May  last,  it  was  provided,  by  an  amendment  to 
the  general  naval  appropriation  bill,  that  the  President  of  the  United 
States  should  be  authorized  to  send  out  a  surveying  and  exploring 
expedition  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  South  Seas,  I  considered  it 
impracticable  to  fit  out  this  expedition  in  a  manner  to  meet  the 
views  of  Congress  under  eight  or  nine  months  without  a  serious 
injury  to  other  branches  of  the  naval  service. 

"  The  only  insurmountable  difficulty,  however,  in  my  opinion, 
was  the  recruiting  the  requisite  number  of  seamen  in  three  or  four 
months  without  interfering  with  arrangements  already  made  for 
sending  ships  to  the  Pacific  and  Brazilian  stations,  and  for  sending 
an  additional  force  to  the  West  Indies. 

"  As,  however,  it  was  your  earnest  wish  that  the  intentions  of 
Congress  in  authorizing  this  measure  should  be  carried  into  effect 
with  the  least  possible  delay,  and  that  the  expedition  should  be 
fitted  out  upon  the  extensive  and  liberal  scale  which  the  indica- 
tions of  public  opinion  seemed  to  require  ;  and  as  the  officer.  Cap- 
tain Thomas  Ap.  Catesby  Jones,  selected  for  the  command  of  the 
expedition,  gave  assurances  that  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  seamen 
could  be  obviated  by  giving  him  power  to  have  them  recruited 
under  his  immediate  superintendence,  and  for  this  particular  ser- 
vice, it  was  determined  to  make  an  extraordinary  effort  to  accom- 
plish these  objects. 

"  Every  facihty  consistent  with  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the 
navy  was  offered  to  Captain  Jones  for  recruiting  seamen  in  the 
manner  he  proposed  ;  and  measures  were  immediately  adopted  to 
have  one  frigate  of  the  second  class,  one  store-ship,  two  barks, 
and  one  schooner,  all  which  he  considered  as  indispensably  ne- 
cessary to  the  success  of  the  enterprise,  prepared  without  delay. 
The  frigate  and  store-ship,  which  were  on  the  stocks  when  this 
measure  was  adopted,  have  been  furnished  and  equipped,  and  are 
now  receiving  their  crews  ;  and  the  other  three  vessels  have  been 
entirely  built  and  equipped  for  sea.  The  whole  have  been  finished 
in  the  most  substantial  manner,  and  adapted  to  the  particular  ser- 
vice for  which  they  are  destined.  These  vessels  will  sail  to  Nor- 
folk to  complete  their  crews,  take  in  their  stores,  and  to  await  fur- 
ther orders. 

G 


50  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

"  To  prevent  any  delay  that  might  arise  from  the  want  of  math- 
ematical, astronomical,  and  philosophical  instruments,  books,  maps, 
charts,  &c.,  required  for  the  expedition.  Lieutenant  Wilkes,  of 
the  navy,  w^as  sent  to  Europe,  and  sailed  from  New- York  on  the 
8th  of  August  last,  to  make  the  necessary  purchases  ;  in  which  he 
has  been  successful  as  to  the  greater  part  of  the  articles  wanted. 
For  some  instruments,  however,  he  has  been  under  the  necessity 
of  waiting  until  they  can  be  manufactured.  His  return  is  expected 
about  the  middle  of  this  month. 

"  It  is  believed  that  every  proper  exertion  has  been  made  to 
recruit  men  for  this  service,  but  without  the  anticipated  success ; 
no  more  than  about  two  hundred,  according  to  the  returns  received, 
being  as  yet  recruited  ;  and,  as  Captain  Jones  requires  five  hun- 
dred and  eighteen  petty  officers,  seamen,  ordinary  seamen,  boys, 
and  marines,  together  with  eighty-five  commissioned  and  warrant 
officers,  for  his  squadron,  it  is  evident  that  a  considerable  time 
must  yet  elapse  before  the  expedition  can  be  ready  for  sea. 

"  Recruiting  seamen  for  a  particular  service  may  be  attended 
with  great  inconvenience,  and  should  not  be  adopted  but  upon  the 
most  urgent  occasions,  such  as  that  of  the  exploring  expedition 
was  conceived  to  be.  If  the  exigences  of  the  government  should 
require  of  such  recruits  service  different  from  that  for  which  they 
were  enlisted,  discontent,  and  even  mutiny  may  be  apprehended. 
Besides,  this  mode  of  recruiting  cannot  but  interfere  with  the  re- 
cruiting for  the  general  service  ;  and,  in  the  present  case,  the  order 
to  recruit  for  the  exploring  expedition  has  made  it  necessary  to 
adopt  the  same  mode  of  recruiting  for  the  crews  of  the  vessels 
about  to  sail  for  the  Pacific  and  Brazilian  stations. 

"  Recruiting  for  three  distinct  objects  of  service  at  the  same 
time,  while  the  usual  recruiting  for  the  general  service  is  contin- 
ued, cannot  but  retard  the  whole,  and  compel  us  to  keep  in  re- 
ceiving vessels  a  much  larger  number  of  recruits,  constantly  dis- 
posed to  desert,  than  would  be  required,  if  recruited,  for  the  gen- 
eral service  alone. 

"  Although  the  number  of  recruits  is  small  for  any  one  of  these 
objects,  yet,  in  the  aggregate,  the  number  is  quite  as  great  as 
should  be  expected,  when  we  consider  the  unusually  great  num- 
ber of  seamen  now  in  the  naval  service  of  the  United  States,  and 
the  great  demand  for  them  in  the  merchant  service. 


LETTERS  OF  A  FRIEND  TO  THE  NAVY.  51 

"  Although  the  return  of  the  pubHc  vessels  now  ordered  to  the 
United  States  will,  to  a  considerable  extent,  furnish  men  for  fu- 
ture service,  yet  sending  out  so  large  a  force  as  that  required  for 
the  exploring  expedition,  to  be  detained  for  the  term  of  three  years, 
cannot  but  be  felt  as  a  serious  inconvenience  in  fitting  out  the 
number  of  vessels  wanted  for  the  immediate  protection  of  com- 
merce." 

From  this  it  appears  that  Commodore  Jones,  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  exploring  squadron,  deemed  one  frigate  of  the 
second  class,  one  store-ship,  two  barks,  and  one  schooner,  as  in- 
dispensably necessary  to  the  success  of  the  enterprise  ;  on  which 
measures  were  immediately  adopted  to  have  these  vessels  pre- 
pared without  delay.  This  report  the  president  laid  before  Con- 
gress. 

On  the  sixth  of  February  last  the  secretary  of  the  navy  made  a 
report  to  the  president,  in  which  he  states  that, 

"  In  answer  to  the  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
calling  for  information  as  to  the  progress  which  has  been  made  in 
the  arrangements  for  the  surveying  and  exploring  expedition  au- 
thorized at  the  last  session  of  Congress,  and  of  the  objects  and 
measures  to  which  said  expedition  is  to  be  devoted,  &c.,  and 
which,  on  the  fourth  instant,  you  referred  to  this  department,  I 
have  the  honour  to  state  that,  in  my  annual  report  of  the  third  of 
December  last,  I  gave  a  brief  outline  of  the  progress  that  had  been 
made  in  the  arrangements  for  this  expedition  up  to  that  time ; 
which  may  be  found  in  document  number  two  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  pages  444,  5,  and  6,  together  with  a  report  of 
the  commissioners  of  the  navy  of  the  measures  which  had  been 
taken  to  carry  the  same  into  effect,  and  an  estimate  of  the  amount 
that  will  be  required  for  the  support  of  the  frigate  Macedonian,  the 
store-ship  Relief,  the  two  barks  Pioneer  and  Consort,  and  the 
schooner  Pilot,  to  be  employed  on  this  expedition  for  one  year, 
which  report  and  estimate  may  be  found  in  pages  484  and  485  of 
the  same  document. 

"  The  resolution  referred  to  requires  further  information  than 
was  contained  in  my  report,  as  also  what  progress  has  since  been 
made  in  these  arrangements. 

*'  The  great  objects  of  this  expedition,  as  understood  by  this 
department,  are  to  explore  the  seas  of  the  Southern  Hemiipii^re, 


ij:Z  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

more  particularly  in  the  high  latitudes,  and  in  the  regions  as  near 
to  the  pole  as  may  be  approached  without  danger ;  to  make  in 
these  regions  thus  to  be  explored  all  practicable  surveys  and  ob- 
servations, with  accurate  descriptions  of  the  same,  connected  with 
geography  or  hydrography,  by  which  the  interests  of  commerce 
and  navigation  may  be  promoted  ;  and  to  make  all  such  researches 
as  the  opportunities  of  the  expedition  will  afford,  to  advance  all 
branches  of  science  which  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
governments  of  Europe  in  fitting  out  vessels  for  survey  and  dis- 
covery. 

"  In  the  beginning  of  July  last  your  wishes  to  carry  into  effect, 
to  their  full  extent,  the  views  of  Congress  in  authorizing  this  ex- 
pedition, induced  you  to  make  it  a  subject  of  immediate  consider- 
ation and  action. 

"  Captain  Thomas  Ap.  C.  Jones  was  selected  to  take  command 
of  the  expedition.  The  offer  to  take  this  command  was  made  to 
him,  and  accepted  on  his  part. 

''  The  confidence  placed  in  this  officer,  which  led  to  his  selec- 
tion for  this  important  command,  seemed  to  require  that  he  should 
be  consulted  as  to  the  number  and  size  of  the  vessels,  and  of  the 
vessels,  and  of  the  amount  of  force,  of  which  his  squadron  was  to 
be  held  in  a  high  degree  responsible  for  the  success  of  the  expe- 
dition. 

"  He  was  of  opinion  that  one  frigate  of  the  second  class,  one 
store-ship,  two  barks,  and  one  schooner,  were  indispensably  ne- 
cessary to  the  success  of  this  object. 

"  In  accordance  with  this  opinion,  the  most  prompt  measures 
were  adopted  for  preparing  and  fitting  for  sea  the  vessels  required. 

"  Captain  Jones  was  instructed  to  visit  the  different  navy  yards  in 
■which  the  vessels  for  his  squadron  were  to  be  built  and  prepared, 
and  to  make  such  suggestions  as  he  should  think  proper  as  to  the 
manner  of  building  and  preparing  the  same,  and  to  which  the  com- 
mandants of  the  yards  were  directed  to  conform. 

"  As,  at  the  time  of  passing  the  act  authorizing  this  expedition, 
it  was  necessary  to  take  immediate  measures  for  relieving  our 
squadrons  on  the  Pacific  and  Brazilian  stations,  as  well  as  to 
send  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  a  considerable  force  in  addition  to 
that  previously  sent  there,  it  was  evident  that  the  requisite  number 
of  seamen  for  this  expedition  could  not  be  recruited  without  ex- 


LETTEFS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY.  5^ 

traordinary  exertions.  Measures  were  therefore  taken  to  recruit 
men  for  this  particular  service  under  the  direction  and  super- 
intendence of  Captain  Jones,  and  Lieutenants  Tatnall,  R.  R. 
Pinckham,  Purviance,  and  H.  W.  Morris  were  ordered  to  report 
to  him  for  service  in  recruiting  for  this  expedition  ;  and  others  u^ere 
subsequently  ordered  for  the  same  service.  It  is  believed  that 
due  diligence  has  been  exercised  by  the  officers  on  this  service 
to  recruit  the  requisite  number  of  men,  but  without  the  success 
that  had  been  anticipated.  This  is  partly  owing  to  the  necessity 
of  recruiting  at  the  same  time  for  the  Pacific,  Brazilian,  and  West 
India  stations ;  and  of  the  five  hundred  and  eighteen  seamen,  or- 
dinary seamen,  landsmen,  and  boys  required  for  the  several  ves- 
sels of  the  exploring  squadron,  no  more  than  two  hundred  and 
forty-eight  have  been  yet  recruited,  as  by  the  last  returns. 

"The  difficulties,  however,  which  have  retarded  the  recruiting 
for  this  expedition  are  nearly  obviated  ;  and  it  is  confidently 
hoped  that  in  a  short  time  there  will  be  sufficient  numbers  re- 
cruited to  complete  the  crews  of  all  the  vessels  of  the  squadron." 

This  report  was  transmitted  to  the  House  of  Representatives 
with  an  expression  of  a  wish,  on  the  part  of  the  president,  that  all 
facilities  might  be  given  to  the  exploring  expedition  that  Congress 
could  bestow  and  the  honour  of  the  nation  demand. 

If  the  objects  of  the  expedition  indispensably  required  the  em- 
ployment of  five,  or  even  six  ships,  and  the  honour  of  the  nation 
demanded  the  employment  of  so  large  a  force,  then  was  Presi- 
dent Jackson  in  favour  of  it,  not  otherwise. 

Congress  in  February  last  made  appropriations  under  which 
five  ships  might  be  employed  on  this  expedition,  but  did  not  re- 
quire that  so  large  a  force  should  be  employed  unless,  agreeably 
to  the  condition  of  the  act  authorizing  the  measure,  such  force 
should  be  necessary  and  proper  to  render  the  expedition  efficient 
and  useful.  The  appropriations  do  not  require  the  needless  ex- 
penditure of  money ;  nor  do  they  in  the  slightest  degree  interfere 
with  the  propriety  of  reducing  this  force,  if  the  interest  of  the 
country  should  require  it. 

The  character  of  the  expedition  has  not  been  changed  ;  it  was 
originally  a  surveying  and  exploring  expedition,  and  is  so  still. 

By  the  reports  cited  it  will  appear  that  there  was  extreme  dif- 
ftculty  in  extending  to  our  commerce  all  the  protection  due  to  it. 


54  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

and  which  the  interest  as  well  as  the  honour  of  the  country  de- 
manded should  be  attended  to  in  preference  to  the  exploring  ex- 
pedition. 

In  the  years  1836  and  1837  more  has  been  required  and  more 
has  been  done  for  the  protection  of  commerce  than  in  any  other 
two  years  since  the  late  war. 

Before  the  required  number  of  seamen  could  be  recruited 
for  the  exploring  expedition,  it  was  discovered  that  the  bark 
Pioneer  was  unfit  for  the  service  for  which  she  was  intended  ; 
and  the  bark  Consort  and  the  schooner  Pilot  were  considered  as 
less  fit  for  the  service  than  the  Pioneer  ;  at  least,  such  was  the 
prevailing  opinion  among  the  officers  of  the  navy. 

The  secretary  of  the  navy  is  not  to  be  charged  for  the  want  of 
success  in  recruiting  seamen  for  the  expedition  ;  and  surely  he  is 
not  to  be  held  responsible  for  the  condition  in  which  the  vessels 
built  for  the  expedition  are  found.  But  he  will  be  held  responsi- 
ble to  the  country  if  he  suffers  these  vessels  to  go  on  the  expedi- 
tion without  a  thorough  examination.  For  such  an  examination 
appropriate  measures  were  adopted.  Delay  must  ensue  ;  but  this 
is  unavoidable.  Delay  in  our  ports  is  to  be  preferred  to  disaster 
abroad. 

The  great  offence  on  tlie  part  of  the  secretary  is,  that  the  com- 
missioners have  been  instructed  to  inquire  whether  the  exploring 
squadron  may  not  be  reduced  in  number  of  vessels  and  men  with 
advantage  to  the  country  and  without  prejudice  to  the  great  ob- 
jects of  the  expedition. 

If  such  a  reduction  can,  it  is  highly  expedient  that  it  should 
lake  place  in  the  present  situation  of  the  country.  The  exigen- 
ces of  our  commerce  are  such  as  to  render  it  highly  improper  to 
send  out  a  larger  force  for  the  purpose  of  survey  and  exploration 
than  may  be  absolutely  wanted  for  those  particular  objects.  Pro- 
curing the  large  amount  of  specie  that  will  be  wanted  for  this  en- 
tire squadron,  especially  if  it  is  to  be  increased  by  the  addition  of 
another  ship,  now  required  by  Commodore  Jones,  will  create 
much  embarrassment.  This  difficulty  was  not  foreseen  at  the  last 
session  of  Congress  ;  and  the  circumstance,  which  is  now  appa- 
rent, that  we  shall  lack  revenue  for  the  exigences  of  government 
in  the  coming  year,  would  justify  the  inquiry  if  there  might  not 


LETTERS    OF   A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NATY.  65 

be  some  reduction  in  the  million  and  a  half  of  dollars  which  this 
exploring  expedition  is  about  to  cost  us. 

The  "  Citizen"  accuses  the  secretary  of  the  navy  of  deceiving 
the  commissioners  as  to  the  objects  of  the  expedition. 

The  objects  stated  to  the  commissioners  are  the  same  as  were 
stated  in  the  report  of  the  6th  February,  laid  before  the  Hause  of 
Representatives,  and  not  disapproved  of  by  them. 

The  commissioners  were  informed  that  the  cruise  of  the  ex- 
ploring expedition  would  continue  three  years  ;  that  its  objects 
would  be  chiefly  to  explore  the  oceans  and  seas  of  the  Southern 
Hemisphere,  more  particularly  in  high  latitudes,  and  in  regions  as 
near  the  pole  as  may  be  approached  without  danger. 

That  some  portions  of  the  Pacific  north  of  the  equator  might 
probably  be  visited  by  the  squadron,  or  some  part  of  it. 

That  the  scientific  corps  to  be  attached  to  this  expedition  would 
consist  of  from  fourteen  to  eighteen  individuals,  whose  duty  it 
would  be  to  make  in  the  regions  to  be  explored  all  practicable  sur- 
veys and  observations  of  the  same,  with  such  accurate  descrip- 
tions and  drawings  as  may  be  most  useful  for  the  purposes  of 
navigation  and  commerce  ;  and  to  make  such  researches  as  the 
opportunities  of  the  expedition  would  afford  in  all  branches  of 
science,  which  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the  governments  of 
Europe  in  fitting  out  expeditions  of  a  like  character  with  this. 

Surely  this  embraces  enough  for  the  consideration  of  the  com- 
missioners, whose  professional  experience  enables  them  to  deter- 
mine with  accuracy  what  is  meant  by  the  terms  surveying  and 
exploring  expedition. 

The  duties  to  be  performed  under  the  commander  of  the  squad- 
ron will  be  pointed  out  to  him  in  detail  in  his  final  instructions, 
but  need  not  be  communicated  to  the  commissioners. 

The  "  Citizen"  thinks  the  vessels  of  this  squadron  should  have 
been  sent  out  long  since,  fit  or  unfit  for  the  service,  for  he  says 
the  expedition  should  "  now  be  doubling  the  cape,  and  every  one 
engaged  in  the  enterprise  full  of  hopes  of  having  immediate  op- 
portunities of  fulfilling  their  country's  expectations." 

Now,  although  it  is  very  pleasant  weather  here  in  June  and  July, 
it  is  quite  the  reverse  at  Cape  Horn  ;  it  is  winter  there,  and  the 
officers  of  the  navy  would  prefer  a  different  season  for  doubling 
the  cape,  if  a  "  Citizen"  will  permit  them. 


56  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEjND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

How  much  time  will  be  required  for  making  the  alleralioiis 
which  may  be  found  necessary  in  these  vessels  is  uncertain ; 
probably  not  more  than  a  few  weeks.  The  requisite  number  of 
seamen  are  recruited  ;  and  unless  there  should  be  difficulty  in 
commanding  the  service  of  officers  upon  this  expedition,  it  may 
leave  the  United  States  in  lime  for  doubling  Cape  Horn  at  the 
most  favourable  season  of  the  year. 

A  FRIEND  TO  THE  NAVY. 

July  31,  1837. 


H. 


The  facts  stated  in  my  former  number  show  that  the  difficulty 
and  delay  of  recruiting  seamen  for  the  exploring  expedition  were 
not  to  be  attributed  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  nor  was  he  to 
be  charged  with  the  delay  occasioned  by  the  necessity  of  having 
a  thorough  examination  of  the  two  barks  and  schooner  built  ex- 
pressly for  the  expedition.  But  the  "  Citizen"  accuses  him  of 
being  opposed  to  the  bill  authorizing  the  expedition. 

There  has  probably  been  no  secretary  of  the  navy  who  would 
not  have  gladly  engaged  in  sending  out  an  exploring  expedition, 
if  it  could  be  done  in  accordance  with  his  own  views,  and  with- 
out embarrassing  him  in  the  performance  of  other  official  duties 
of  more  immediate  importance  and  of  higher  responsibility. 

In  1836  the  duties  to  be  performed  by  the  navy  for  the  pro- 
tection of  commerce,  and  which  the  honour  of  the  nation  required 
should  be  attended  to  in  preference  to  all  others,  exceeded  the 
means  of  the  navy  department,  as  appears  by  the  published  ex- 
tracts from  the  secretary's  reports  ;  and  the  imposition  of  new 
duties  in  fitting  out  an  exploring  expedition  could  not  fail  to  in- 
crease the  difficulties  of  his  situation,  without  relieving  him  of  re- 
sponsibilities, which  effect  they  have  had,  to  the  most  serious  in- 
jury of  the  service.  It  is  not  strange  that  the  secretary  should 
feel  opposed  to  the  imposition  of  new  duties  at  a  time  of  so  much 
difficulty ;  nor  is  it  strange  that  he  should  be  opposed  to  the 
manner  in  which  the  provision  for  the  exploring  expedition  was 
introduced  into  the  general  appropriation  bills  for  the  navy. 


LETTERS    OF    A  FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY.  S7 

Early  in  the  session  this  bill  had  been  sent  from  the  House  of 
Representatives  to  the  Senate  ;  there  an  amendment  was  pro- 
posed authorizing  this  expedition ;  and  there  it  remained,  loaded 
with  this  rider,  until  nearly  the  time  of  passing  the  bill  on  the 
18th  of  May,  1836,  more  than  five  months  after  the  commence- 
ment of  the  session,  and  when  the  naval  service  was  greatly  em- 
barrassed for  want  of  the  appropriations  ;  for  not  a  dollar  had 
been  appropriated  for  this  service  from  the  beginning  of  the  ses- 
sion until  this  time. 

Much  delay  has  taken  place  in  consequence  of  the  condition  of 
these  vessels  ;  but  all  difficulties  as  to  the  vessels  can  be  removed 
in  time  for  sending  out  the  expedition  so  as  to  double  Cape  Horn 
at  the  most  favourable  season  of  the  year.  The  two  barks  can  be 
so  altered  as  to  make  them  fit  for  this  service,  and  the  schooner, 
should  the  officers  place  no  confidence  in  her,  can  be  left,  and 
another  substituted ;  and  even  the  additional  ship  which  Commo- 
dore Jones  now  requires  can  be  procured,  should  it  be  deemed 
necessary. 

There  is,  however,  a  serious  difficulty  in  the  case  not  men- 
tioned by  the  "Citizen,"  but  produced  in  no  small  degree  by  him- 
self, which  requires  examination  :  that  is,  the  general  disincli- 
nation, on  the  part  of  the  officers  of  the  navy,  to  engage  in  this  ex- 
pedition, which  arises,  in  part,  from  an  impression  that  this  is  con- 
sidered the  expedition  of  an  individual  rather  than  of  the  country ; 
and  from  the  circumstance  that  two  meritorious  and  scientific  of- 
ficers were  excluded  from  the  command  of  two  of  the  smaller 
vessels  of  the  squadron. 

The  officers  of  the  navy  are  probably  afraid  that,  from  the 
published  opinions  of  various  distinguished  gentlemen  of  the 
transcendent  claims  of  Mr. ,  that  he  will  have  an  undue  in- 
fluence in  the  movements  of  the  squadron,  as  that  of  doubling 
Cape  Horn  in  June  and  July ;  approaching  too  nearly  to  the 
verge  of  this  said  opening  of  sixteen  degrees  around  the  pole,  or 
some  other  movements  to  test  the  truth  of  his  strange  theories. 

These  fears  have  not  been  removed  by  the  displays  of  science 

in  Mr. 's  published  address,  in  which  he  informs  the  world 

that  "  the  great  improvements  in  mathematical  instruments  have 
made  the  path  of  the  mariner  in  the  darkest  night,  and  amid  rush- 

H 


58  LETTERS  OF  A  FRIEND  TO  THE  NAVY. 

ing  tempests,  as  easy  to  be  attained  and  followed  as  the  paved 
streets  of  a  populous  city."     Page  16. 

That  "  in  every  part  of  the  earth's  circumference  where  a  keel 
can  go  our  countrymen  are  to  be  found  gleaning  the  molluscous 
treasures  from  the  coral  reefs  in  equatorial  cHmes,"  &c.     P.  24. 

That  "what  men  can  do  they  (American  seamen)  have  always 
felt  ready  to  attempt ;  what  man  has  done  it  is  their  character  to 
feel  able  to  do  ;  whether  it  be  to  grapple  with  an  enemy  on  the 
deep,  or  to  pursue  the  gigantic  game  under  the  burning  line  with 
an  intelligence  and  ardour  that  ensure  success,  or,  pushing  their 
adventurous  barks  into  the  high  southern  latitudes,  to  circle  the 
globe  within  the  antarctic  circle,  and  attain  the  pole  itself;  yea, 
to  cast  anchor  on  that  point  where  all  the  meridians  terminate, 
where  our  eagle  and  star-spangled  banner  may  be  unfurled  and 
planted,  and  left  to  wave  on  the  axis  of  the  earth  itself!"     P.  99. 

This  address  contains  many  other  passages  equally  delectable 
and  instructive. 

It  is  certainly  news  to  the  naval  officers  that  the  improvements 
in  mathematical  instruments  have  made  the  path  of  the  mariner 
in  the  darkest  night,  and  amid  rushing  tempests,  as  easy  to  be  at- 
tained and  followed  as  a  paved  street  in  a  populous  city.  This 
would  be  extremely  consoling  to  them  could  they  believe  it. 
But,  as  this  information  is  so  far  in  advance  of  anything  ever  said 
or  thought  of  by  Laplace  or  Bowditch,  the  officers  must  be  ex- 
cused for  believing  that  Mr.  was  practising  upon  the  cre- 
dulity of  his  audience,  or  that  he  was  totally  ignorant  of  the  sub- 
ject upon  which  he  was  speaking.  Our  officers  will  also  be  sur- 
prised to  hear  that  in  every  part  of  the  earth's  circumference 
where  a  keel  can  go  our  countrymen  are  to  be  found  gleaning 
molluscous  treasures  from  the  coral  reefs  in  equatorial  climes. 
As  our  keels  can  go  into  Hudson's  Bay  and  Behring's  Straits,  our 

countrymen  must  be  there,  according  to  Mr.  's  information, 

gleaning  molluscous  treasures — and  from  coral  reefs  too — and 
those  reefs  of  equatorial  climes,  whether  abounding  in  molluscous 
treasures  or  not. 

From  Mr. 's  flourish  of  circling  the  globe  within  the  an- 
tarctic circle,  yea,  of  casting  anchor  on  the  point  where  all  the 
meridians  terminate,  and  of  leaving  the  star-spangled  banner  to 
wave  on  the  axis  of  the  earth  itself,  which  he,  no  doubt,  considers 


LETTERS    OP    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY.  59 

a  huge  flagstaff,  it  would  appear  that  he  has  renounced  his  former 
theory  of  a  great  opening  of  sixteen  degrees  at  the  pole  ;  that  is, 
if  he  is  in  earnest  in  his  plan  of  leaving  the  American  flag  to  wave 
on  the  axis  of  the  earth,  of  which  there  is  some  doubt. 

The  extravagances  of  Mr. have  created  many  difiiculties 

in  fitting  out  this  expedition  ;  yet  all  these  can  be  obviated  if  he 
will  be  content  with  the  distinguished  and  lucrative  situation  as- 
signed him  in  the  same,  and  not  ostentatiously  and  off'ensively  at- 
tempt the  direction  of  the  enterprise,  to  the  great  annoyance  of 
officers  who  have  entered  the  navy  with  hopes  of  distinguishing 
themselves  in  battle  for  their  country,  and  who  have  no  ambition 
to  engage  in  the  service  now  proposed  for  them  under  his  au- 
spices. 

Respect  is  due  to  the  pride  and  feelings  of  gallant  ofiicers  of 
whom  unusual,  unexpected,  and  subordinate  duties  are  required. 

On  this  expedition  much  time  must  be  spent  in  collecting  and 
examining  subjects  of  natural  history  ;  much  time  must  be  spent 
in  tracing  the  shores  and  dredging  in  the  deep  seas  in  search  of 
new  and  undescribed  animals.  By  these  labours  great  additions 
will  be  made  to  science  highly  interesting  to  the  gentlemen  en- 
gaged in  making  discoveries,  and  highly  honourable  to  the  coun- 
try, but  somewhat  irksome  to  officers  performing  a  subordinate 
part  in  these  operations,  and  who  aspire  to  service  more  properly 
belonging  to  their  professional  duties. 

To  such  labours  and  discoveries  no  more  force  should  be  applied 
than  what  is  absolutely  necessary. 

In  other  countries  exploring  expeditions  are  fitted  out,  but  gen- 
erally on  a  small  scale. 

Among  the  most  splendid  exploring  voyages  of  modern  times 
is  that  of  the  Astrolabe,  a  corvette  of  eighteen  guns  and  a  crew 
of  eighty  men. 

Two  ships  would  be  quite  enough  for  the  purposes  of  survey 
and  exploration  on  this  South  Sea  expedition,  and  an  additional 
vessel  for  the  search  of  wrecked  mariners. 

Five  ships  and  six  hundred  men  cannot  be  wanted  for  any  pur- 
pose whatever  necessarily  connected  with  the  expedition,  not  even 
for  the  purpose  of  gleaning  molluscous  treasures  from  coral  reefs, 
in  which  it  seems  our  countrymen  are  engaajed  wherever  a  keel 
can  go. 


60  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

The  country  wishes  to  see  an  exploring  expedition  fitted  ana 
sent  out  comnaensurate  with  the  proper  objects  of  such  an  expe- 
dition, and  no  greater.  It  does  not  wish  to  pay  a  milhon  and  a 
half  of  dollars  for  what,  at  most,  should  cost  half  a  million  ;  and, 
especially,  it  does  not  wish  to  send  cut  the  specie  that  will  be  re- 
quired for  the  expedition  on  the  magnificent  scheme  of  Mr. , 

at  a  time  like  this,  when  the  specie  wanted  for  the  indispensable 
exigences  of  the  navy  can  with  the  greatest  difiiculty  be  pro- 
cured. 

If  the  secretary  of  the  navy  had  thought  himself  authorized  to 
send  out  the  exploring  squadron  in  preference  to  providing  for 
the  Pacific,  Brazilian,  and  West  India  stations,  which  he  certainly 
did  not,  yet  he  could  not  have  sent  out  the  number  of  ships  re- 
quired by  Mr.  ,  as  they  are  not  prepared  for  service,  nor 

will  they  be  for  some  weeks  to  come  ;  and  yet,  on  the  part  of 
the  secretary,  there  has  not  been  a  moment's  delay  in  having  those 
vessels  prepared  for  sea.  The  delay,  if  any,  is  to  be  attributed  to 
some  other  quarter. 

A  FRIEND  TO  THE  NAVY. 

August  1,  1837 


CITIZEN'S  LETTERS. 
VII. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 
The  sagacious  Prince  of  Idumea,  the  patient  Job,  once  said, 
"  Oh  !  that  mine  enemy  had  written  a  book  ;"  the  true  interpreta- 
tion of  which  is,  Oh  !  that  mine  antagonist  would  put  his  arguments 
in  writing;  he  has,  thank  God,  done  it  in  this  case.  Yes,  sir,  you 
have  at  length  been  aroused.  The  voice  of  public  censure  has 
reached  you,  while  but  a  single  individual  has  been  found  to  file 
for  you  a  plea  of  not  guilty  before  the  bar  of  public  opinion.  The 
Times  of  .31st  July  and  1st  of  August  contains  his  productions 
over  the  signature  of  '*  A  Friend  to  the  Navy  ;"  which,  for  the  sake 
of  consistency,  and  in  order  to  leave  a  more  faithful  record  for  the 


LETTECS    OF    A     CITIZEN'.  61 

future,  had  more  properly  been  simply  "  your  friend"  or  "  an  en- 
emy  to  the  navyP 

When  I  cast  my  eyes  cursorily,  for  the  first  time,  over  these 
"delectable"  productions,  I  could  not  help  feeling  deep  commis- 
eration for  you,  that  so  long  a  life  of  patriotic,  liberal,  and  enlight- 
ened services  to  your  country — of  which,  unfortunately,  but  few 
records  have  been  preserved — and  especially  the  several  years  you 
have  occupied — I  cannot  say  filled — the  chair  of  your  official  pre- 
decessors, watching  with  more  than  paternal  solicitude  over  the 
naval  concerns  of  the  country,  infusing  into  all  their  branches  a 
due  proportion  of  your  own  energy  and  decision,  and  inspiring  the 
officers  by  your  own  illustrious  example  with  a  liberal  and  har- 
monious spirit  of  action ;  I  say,  remembering  all  these  things,  I 
could  not  avoid  feeling  commiseration  that  no  abler  pen  had  been 
employed  in  the  doubtful  task  of  rescuing  your  official  character 
from  obloquy.  I  could  not  but  ask  myself,  where  is  the  chivalry  of 
the  navy,  that  it  does  not  rally  round  its  great  head  and  pattern 
in  this  his  hour  of  need  ? 

In  looking  over,  for  the  second  time,  what  "  A  Friend  to  the 
Navy"  had  put  forth  in  your  defence,  I  must  own  I  had  some  mis- 
givings as  to  who  that  "  friend"  might  be.  I  began  strongly  to 
suspect  that  he  was  no  friend,  but  an  enemy,  to  you  as  well  as  to 
the  navy,  who  had  assumed  the  mask  of  friendship  for  the  malig- 
nant purpose  of  rendering  you  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of  your  coun- 
trymen by  the  very  puerile,  evasive,  and  disconnected  style  he 
had  adopted  in  attempting  to  sustain  you.  This  impression  was 
further  strengthened  by  the  fact,  apparent  to  every  reader  of  l*is 
articles,  that  all  the  charges  I  have  preferred  against  you  were, 
substantially,  admitted ;  while  the  whole  scope  and  tenour  of  the 
language  used  manifested  more  decided  hostility  to  the  expedition 
than  had  been  openly  avowed  in  any  previous  communication  of 
your  own.  I  intend  to  have  an  extra  number  of  these  articles 
struck  off,  as,  whether  prepared  by  a  friend  or  a  foe,  they  serve 
to  confirm  everything  I  have  said  in  my  letters  with  regard  to  you» 
and  such  were  my  second  impressions  ;  they  did  not,  however, 
last  long. 

When  I  began  to  compare  the  effusions  of  "  A  Friend  to  the 
Navy"  with  the  extracts  from  your  official  reports,  inserted  by  him 
in  the  way  of  filling  up  your  defence,  and  noticed  their  striking 


62  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN- 

similitude  in  style  and  language,  the  familiarity  with  wliich  refer- 
ence was  made  to  reports  and  instructions  not  yet.  made  public^ 
together  with  certain  allusions  to  doings  and  intentions  of  the  de- 
partment which  could  be  known  to  yourself  alone,  I  could  not 
help  imbibing  the  belief,  here  quite  current,  that  the  author  or 
"  Friend  to  the  Navy'''  was  a  personage  high  in  place,  who  spoke 
as  one  having  authority.  This  circumstance,  I  thought,  might 
elevate  to  the  dignity  of  deserving  a  notice  compositions  which, 
without  such  adventitious  aid,  were  absolutely  beneath  criticism, 
and  could  only  be  attributed  to  a  high  source  by  supposing  the  in- 
cumbent utterly  incompetent  to  discharge  the  important  duties  of 
his  station. 

This  is  a  melancholy  reflecti-on,  and  no  less  melancholy  is  the 
task  of  noticing  at  all  the  defence  of  such  a  champion  of  the  hon- 
ourable secretary  of  the  navy. 

"  A  narrative  of  facts  not  generally  known"  is  promised  in  the 
beginning  by  your  defender.  Has  any  narrative  been  given,  sir, 
which  impairs  the  force  of  the  charges  I  have  brought  against  you  ; 
charges  of  which  the  justice  is  felt  and  acknowledged  by  all  who 
have  had  anything  to  do  with  your  department  or  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  your  lardy,  insincere,  and  reluctant  action  in  fitting  out 
the  expedition  ? 

Why  was  your  defence,  in  point  of  time,  commenced  from  the 
late  period  when  Lieutenant  Tatnall  returned  in  the  Pioneer  from 
the  coast  of  Mexico,  ten  months  after  the  passage  of  the  bill,  and 
more  than  eighteen  months  after  you  had  set  your  mighty  ener- 
gies to  work  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the  expedition  being 
authorized  ?  What  was  your  official  action  in  the  premises  during 
that  period  ?  Why  has  not  this  point  been  met  and  explained 
away  ?  Sir,  do  you  suppose  the  community  blind  ?  Do  you  flat- 
ter yourself  that  you  can  roll  back,  even  assisted  by  the  puissant 
arm  of  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy,"  the  current  of  public  reprehension 
which  your  official  career  has  called  down  upon  you?  Make  the 
effort,  sir,  and  preserve  yourself  if  you  can. 

The  Pioneer  was  reported  unfit  for  the  expedition,  and  Com- 
modore Jones,  at  his  own  request,  was  directed  to  make  an  ex- 
perimental cruise.  That  cruise  was  made,  and  its  result  inspired 
the  commander  with  confidence  in  his  vessels,  or,  as  you  say,  he 
"  reported  favourably  of  the  vessels."     I  have  seen  a  letter  written 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  63 

by  you  after  receiving  that  report,  wherein  you  write,  "  The  report 
of  Commodore  Jones  is  extremely  discouraging."  Put  this  and 
that  together ;  but  let  it  pass. 

It  was  recommended  that  the  vessels  go  into  drydock.  This 
was  a  godsend  to  you.  The  occasion  was  seized  upon,  and  made 
a  pretext  for  the  appointment  of  a  commission  extraordinary,  al- 
though Commodore  Jones  had  returned  and  "reported  favoura- 
bly." How  did  you  speak  of  this  report  when  first  received  ? 
Did  you  then  say  it  was  favourable  ?  I  apprehend  not ;  at  any 
rate,  accident  has  placed  before  me  a  letter,  to  which  I  have  al- 
ready referred,  in  which  you  speak  of  this  same  report  as  "ex- 
tremely discouraging ! !" 

Of  this  board :  the  obvious  motive  for  its  appointment ;  the 
extraordinary  character  of  the  instructions  you  gave  for  the  gui- 
dance of  its  action ;  the  consequent  duties  you  expected  it  to 
perform,  are  subjects  which  have  all  been  sufficiently  discussed 
in  my  preceding  letters,  and  demand  but  a  short  incidental  no- 
tice here.  Not  to  look  into  the  condition  of  the  vessels  only 
was  the  commission  opened,  but  to  assume,  to  a  certain  degree, 
legislative  power  ;  to  undo  what  Congress  had  directed  should  be 
done,  and  which  you,  with  all  your  hostility  to  the  expedition,  had 
not  the  moral  courage  to  contravene ;  in  short,  to  reduce  the  force 
authorized.  Why  was  not  Commodore  Jones  appointed  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  ?  Was  he  not  deeply  interested  in  the  examin- 
ations and  decisions  to  be  made  ?  Were  you  apprehensive  that 
he  would  expose  the  insidious  character  of  your  instructions,  by 
showing  the  members  of  your  commission  that  you  had  now  as- 
sumed new  ground  and  adopted  opinions  directly  at  variance  with 
those  you  had  previously  professed  to  entertain  ?  Had  you  for- 
gotten, or  was  it  inconvenient  to  remember,  what  you  had  said  of 
that  officer  in  your  famous  report  of  April  6, 1837  ?  If  you  had 
foreseen  your  present  predicament,  you  would  never  have  penned 
the  following  sentence  :  "  The  confidence  placed  in  this  officer 
(Commodore  Jones),  which  led  to  his  selection  for  this  important 
command,  seemed  to  require  that  he  should  he  consulted  as  to  the 
number  and  size  of  the  vessels,  and  the  amount  offeree  of  which 
his  squadron  was  to  consist,  as  he  was  to  he  held  in  a  high  degree 
responsible  for  the  success  of  the  expedition.^''  A  liberal  and  just 
sentence  this,  but  only  written  for  effect,  not  for  action,  as  your 


64  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

recent  course  has  abundantly  proved.  You  acknowledge  that  the 
commander,  inasmuch  as  he  was  to  be  held  in  a  high  degree  re- 
sponsible for  the  success  of  the  expedition,  ought  to  be  consulted 
on  the  force  to  be  employed,  and  afterward  to  exclude  him  from 
a  board  instructed  to  decide  on  this  very  point.  Do  you  imagine, 
sir,  this  shallow  device  was  not  fully  understood  ;  or  do  you  sup- 
pose there  is  a  man  of  intelligence  in  the  country,  who  has  paid 
the  slightest  attention  to  the  subject,  who  believes  that  an  honest 
solicitude  for  the  success  of  the  enterprise  was  your  motive  for 
convening  this  board,  under  the  instructions  it  received  ?  Did 
you  not  expect,  sir,  that  it  would  report  as  a  packed  jury  would 
decide  ;  and  have  you  not  been  greviously  disappointed  by  the  re- 
cent decision  against  you  ?  Can  you  deny  it  ?  Yes,  you  may, 
probably  will  do  so;  but  you  cannot  conceal,  even  while  making 
the  denial,  the  keen  and  bitter  disappointment  rankling  within  that 
this,  your  great  last  move,  has  been  defeated,  leaving  you  once 
more  naked,  alone,  and  unsupported  in  your  plans  to  destroy 
the  efficiency  of  the  expedition  ;  or  at  least  proving  that,  if  you 
had  supporters,  they  did  not  choose  to  compromise  themselves  by 
publicly  agreeing  with  you,  under  circumstances  so  well  calcu- 
lated to  call  in  question  their  patriotism  and  sense  of  public  duty. 
Thus  discomfited,  worsted,  and  overruled  in  all  your  machina- 
tions ;  required  by  the  present  as  well  as  by  the  late  executive  to 
go  on  and  do  your  duly,  and  that  speedily,  you  have  at  last,  with 
something  like  an  "  extraordinary  effort,"  put  the  preparations  in 
a  state  of  progress.  The  falling  off  in  the  revenue,  with  tli-e  im- 
inense  and  ruinous  amount  of  specie  which  the  squadron  will  re- 
quire, are  points  from  which  you  still  entertain  some  lingering 
hopes.  I  will  examine  the  piteous  wailings  of  "  A  Friend  to  the 
Navy,"  and  pledge  myself  to  show  that  he  is  as  uninformed  upon 
the  latter  subject  as  you  have  chosen  to  remain  of  the  true  pur- 
poses of  the  expedition.  For  what  end  is  a  heavy  amount  of  spe- 
cie needed  by  the  squadron  ?  If  it  touch  at  Lima  or  Valparaiso, 
we  have  naval  stores  and  a  navy  agent  at  both  those  places  ;  and 
there  bills  on  the  United  Stales  command  a  premium.  In  ihc 
purchase  of  refreshments  at  most  of  the  islands  specie  is  unne- 
cessary, inasmuch  as  all  the  provisions  furnished  by  the  natives 
are  to  be  procured  in  exchange  for  our  domestic  manufactures 
(implcm(3nl3  of   industry,  &c.),  which  will  leave  the  money  at 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  6# 

home,  instead  of  expending  it  in  foreign  ports,  as  is  done  by 
the  rest  of  our  squadrons.  Sir,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that 
the  specie  requisite  for  this  expedition  will  not  amount  to  one 
third  the  sum  required  for  a  similar  force  on  any  of  the  regular 
foreign  stations ;  and,  moreover,  if  the  purpose  of  the  expedi- 
tion be  to  reach  the  South  Pole,  or  near  it,  what,  in  the  name 
of  common  sense,  would  be  the  demands  for  specie  there  ?  To 
bring  such  an  argument  against  the  enterprise  shows  that  "  A 
Friend  to  the  Navy"  must  have  felt  himself  at  a  nonplus  in  seek- 
ing feasible  apologies  for  your  conduct. 

Let  me  see,  sir,  what  is  the  next  point  to  be  noticed  ?  The 
law  authorizing  the  expedition.  This  must  be  examined,  as  "  A 
Friend  to  the  Navy"  has  been  wildly  extravagant  in  his  interpre- 
tation of  its  meaning,  and  has  made  an  effort  to  shield  your  late  il- 
legal proceedings  by  his  palpable  misconstructions.  The  fre- 
quency with  which  he  refers  to  this  law  shows  that  he  relies  mainly 
on  its  authority  in  attempting  your  vindication.  I  own  that  on 
this  point  his  arguments  are  by  far  more  specious  than  on  any 
other  connected  with  the  subject ;  nevertheless,  his  conclusions 
are  unsound,  and  in  no  respect  warranted  by  the  act  from  which 
they  are  deduced.     The  words  of  the  law  are  : 

"  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he  hereby 
is,  authorized  to  send  out  a  surveying  and  exploring  expedition  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean  and  South  Seas,  and  for  that  purpose  to  em- 
ploy a  sloop-of-war,  and  to  purchase  or  provide  such  other  smaller 
vessels  as  may  be  necessary  and  proper  to  render  the  expedition 
efficient  and  useful,"  &c.,  &c. 

Now  it  is  important  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  committee  on 
naval  affairs  in  the  Senate  drew  up  a  very  able  report,  setting 
forth  the  great  objects  of  the  expedition,  to  which  was  appended 
the  bill  from  whence  the  above  extract  is  made,  as  the  authority 
under  which  the  executive  was  to  act  in  carrying  the  will  of  Con- 
gress into  effect.  When  did  this  bill  become  a  law  ?  At  the 
first  session  of  the  last  Congress.  What  was  the  language  of  the 
report  in  reference  to  this  law^  ?     Let  us  see. 

"  The  committee  think  it  ('  the  expedition')  ought  to  consist  of 
two  vessels  of  about  two  hundred  tons  burden  for  eooploration, 
one  of  about  one  hundred  tons  as  a  tender,  and  those  accompanied 

I 


G6  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

by  a  sloop-of-war  to  afford  protection,  and  to  secure  peaceful  and 
friendly  relations  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands. 

"  But  the  comnfiittee  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  prescribe  in 
the  law  which  may  be  passed  either  the  dimensions  or  character 
of  the  vessels,  or  the  number  and  qualifications  of  the  persons 
who  shall  be  employed;  nor  can  they  exhibit  by  precise  esti- 
mates the  exact  sum  which  shall  be  expended.  These  are  mat- 
ters which  must,  to  some  extent,  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  the 
executive,  who  will  carry  the  will  of  Congress  into  execution." 

In  this  clear  and  explicit  form  did  the  subject  come  before  the 
executive,  to  whom  a  discretionary  power  was  intentionally  and 
very  properly  granted.  Had  there  been  any  doubt  as  to  the  in- 
tent of  the  law,  the  report  of  the  committee  afforded  an  ample 
interpretation. 

That  report  speaks  of  the  smaller  vessels  for  "  exploration,  and 
a  sloop-of-ivar  as  protection,  and  to  secure  peaceful  and  friendly 
relations  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands,"  but  you  contend, 
indeed,  I  have  heard  you  avow,  that  you  would  not  look  at  the  re- 
ports or  to  memorials  as  setting  forth  the  intentions  of  Congress 
and  the  objects  of  the  expedition. 

You  sometimes,  however,  do  things  which  you  have  previously 
declared  you  would  not  do.  For  the  purposes  of  protection  the 
president  had  authority  to  order  a  frigate  on  what  service  he  chose, 
without  the  sanction  of  this  bill.  Will  you,  or  "A  Friend  to  the 
Navy,"  have  the  goodness  to  put  into  print  the  statement,  that  the 
president,  when  he  gave  directions  for  the  Macedonian  to  be  pre- 
pared for  the  expedition,  did  so  with  the  view  that  she  should 
only  go  near  the  South  Pole,  and  that  the  protection  and  security  of 
our  commercial  interests  in  the  Pacific  had  nothing  to  do  with 
his  decision.  No  boxing  the  compass,  "  Mr.  Friend  to  the  Navy  ;" 
come  to  the  point  at  once. 

"But,"  says  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy,"  "it  is  idle  to  suppose  that 
the  plan  of  five  vessels  originated  with  him"  (the  late  president) ; 
"  he,  in  fact,  wanted  no  greater  force  than  would  meet  the  just 
views  of  Congress  and  the  expectations  of  the  public."  Very 
true,  most  wise  and  learned  judge ;  and  I  should  like  to  be  informed 
who  ever  desired  a  greater  force  than  would  "  meet  the  just  views 
of  Congress  and  the  expectations  of  the  public  ?"  Here  I  make 
another  point,  and  ask  for  an  explicit  answer. 


I 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 


6t 


Again  :  does  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  wish  to  be  understood  as 
saying  that  the  force  which  the  president  did  sanction  was  too 
large  to  "  meet  the  just  views  of  Congress  ?"  In  replying  to  this 
query  let  there  be  no  evasion.  Answer  ;  did  the  late  executive 
authorize  a  force  too  large  for  the  purposes  of  the  expedition  as 
set  forth  in  the  proceedings  of  Congress  ?  I  wish  to  see  if  "  A 
Friend  to  the  Navy"  will  dare  to  do  directly  what  by  implication 
he  has  already  done,  viz.,  censure  an  official  act  of  the  late  head 
of  the  nation. 

Was  not  Congress  in  session  ?  Had  not  the  president  frequent 
interchanges  of  sentiment  with  the  prominent  friends  of  the  meas- 
ure in  that  body  ?  Was  not  the  subject  of  the  force  proper  to 
be  employed  fairly  discussed  and  fully  considered.  Did  not  the 
executive  hear  the  pros  and  cons  ?  Were  not  you  active  at  your 
usual  employment  of  cutting  down  and  finding  fault  ?  Yes,  sir, 
such  loas  the  position  of  affairs,  and  the  adoption  of  the  frigate 

was  not  at  the  suggestion  of  Mr. ,  nor  to  gratify  the  pride  of 

Commodore  Jones,  as  has  been  so  often  and  so  invidiously  insin- 
uated, but  for  reasons  now  understood  by  the  whole  community, 
and  previously  sanctioned  by  the  friends  of  the  undertaking  at  the 
close  of  the  first  session  of  the  last  Congress.  The  force  and  or- 
ganization approved  by  the  executive,  including  the  substitution 
of  the  frigate  for  a  sloop-of-war,  were  not  considered  on  a  scale 
too  extensive  for  carrying  out  "  the  just  views  of  Congress  and 
the  expectations  of  the  public."  If  these  matters  were  not  known 
to  you,  sir,  they  are  no  less  true  on  that  account ;  they  must  be 
fresh  in  the  recollection  of  many  members  to  whom  I  have  al- 
luded, the  extraordinary  opposition  you  manifested  towards  the 
expedition  being  often  the  theme  of  pleasantry  among  them ! 

Thus  did  the  affair  stand  at  the  termination  of  the  first  session 
of  the  recent  Congress.  Let  us  inquire  how  it  stood  at  the  com- 
mencement, as  well  as  at  the  close,  of  the  last  session  ? 

In  the  exercise  of  that  discretion  alike  belonging  to  his  station 
and  conceded  by  the  law,  the  president  recommended  a  frigate  to 
be  substituted  for  a  sloop-of-war. 

Accordingly,  the  estimates  were  sent  in  for  the  frigate  and  other 
smaller  vessels.  The  question  was  thus  brought  fairly  before 
Congress,  and  was  as  distinctly  understood.  You  laboured  zeal- 
ously to  prevent  the   adoption  of  a   laxger  vessel  to  supersede 


68  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

the  sloop-of-war.  On  all  occasions,  both  in  season  and  out  of 
season,  your  voice  was  heard  upon  this  subject,  and  it  was  your 
sedulous  endeavour  to  have  the  estimates  for  the  frigate  stricken 
out,  which  ihe  president  had  ordered  you  to  present  to  Congress. 
What  was  the  result  ?  Why,  sir,  the  national  legislature  ap- 
proved what  the  executive,  in  the  exercise  of  his  best  judgment, 
had  done  ;  the  frigate  was  provided  for,  and,  by  that  act,  took  the 
place  occupied  by  the  sloop  in  the  law  of  the  preceding  session. 
All  discretionary  power  here  properly  terminated;  precisely  as 
all  executive  discretion  in  the  modification  of  a  treaty  ceases 
when  it  has  been  ratified  by  the  Senate.  I  appeal  not  to  you, 
sir,  but  I  do  appeal  to  every  man  of  intelligence,  if  this  be  not  the 
only  true,  the  only  fair  exposition  of  which  the  case  will  admit. 
What,  then,  can  be  thought  of  all  the  special  pleadings  of  "  A 
Friend  to  the  Navy,"  when  he  claims  for  you  the  right,  by  the 
agency  of  a  naval  hoard,  to  lay  Vandal  hands  upon  the  frigate  ; 
an  assumption  of  authority  about  as  defensible  as  would  be  the 
cutting  off  of  one  or  all  of  the  smaller  vessels,  because,  forsooth, 
something  about  them  might  not  suit  you;  when,  the  truth  is, 
nothing  about  this  expedition  ever  did  suit  you  or  ever  xoill. 

I  am  at  a  loss  to  know,  perhaps  you  can  tell,  what  "  A  Friend 
to  the  Navy"  means  by  stating  that  "  Congress,  in  February  last, 
made  appropriations  under  which  five  ships  might  be  employed 
on  this  expedition,  but  did  not  require  that  so  large  a  force  should 
be  employed,  unless,  agreeably  to  the  act  aiuhorizing  the  measure, 
such  force  should  be  necessary  and  proper  to  render  the  expe- 
dition efficiently  useful."  And  pray,  sir,  where  do  you  find 
this  power  of  limitation  confided  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy  ? 
Whence  is  the  inference,  and  where  the  authority,  sir,  that  Con- 
gress made  an  appropriation  that  might  he  used,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  did  not  require  it  to  he  used.  I  ask  for  the  proof  that  any 
portion  of  this  expedition  has  been  ro/iditiofialli/  sanctioned,  and 
I  know  that  I  ask  in  vain,  notwithstanding  the  boldness  with 
which  "  A  Friend  of  the  Navy"  has  hazarded  the  assertion.  Sir, 
you  have  no  authority  for  your  late  efforts  to  break  up  the  expe- 
dition by  reducing  its  force,  and  sophistry  cannot  screen  you  from 
the  })ul)lic  censure  which  that  act  alone  has  called  down  upon  you. 
Allow  nic,  sir,  to  illustrate  this  point  by  what  might  be  deemed 
a  parallel  case,  and  one  in  which  I  thmk  you  would  adopt  pre- 


LETTERS    OF   A    CITIZEN.  69 

cisely  my  views  with  reference  to  the  point  at  issue.  The  heads 
of  departments  at  Washington  receive,  as  compensation  for  their 
services,  six  thousand  dollars  per  annum  each.  Suppose,  at  the 
commencement  of  the  next  session,  when  the  bill  making  pro- 
vision for  the  civil  list  is  presented,  that  under  the  head  of  "  for 
the  secretary  of  the  navy"  twelve  thousand  dollars  should  be  in- 
serted. The  subject  comes  before  the  house.  Some  member 
inquires.  How  is  this  ?  Here  is  an  appropriation  of  twelve 
thousand  dollars  where  six  thousand  stood  before ;  a  frigate  in 
'place  of  a  sloop-of-war  ;  I  go  against  that,  Mr.  Speaker.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  is  urged  that,  in  consideration  of  the  "  extraordinary 
efforts"  of  the  secretary  of  the  navy  in  fitting  out  the  expedition, 
and  of  the  extra  and  unpleasant  duties  imposed  upon  him  by  the 
measure,  as  also  to  compensate  him,  in  some  slight  degree,  for 
the  loss  of  ofBcial  character  he  has  sustained,  this  additional  re- 
muneration had  been  proposed.  Finally,  the  claim  is  entertained 
and  sanctioned  by  Congress,  though  not  until  some  unsuccessful 
motions  have  been  made  to  strike  out  the  allowance  altogether. 
Now,  under  these  circumstances,  does  any  man  doubt  that  you 
would  be  entitled  to  the  twelve  thousand,  or  could  any  executive 
officer  withhold  the  same  without  violation  of  law  ?  What  would 
be  thought  of  the  United  States  treasurer,  should  he  assemble  a 
board  of  auditors  to  inquire  if  the  appropriation  made  for  the 
honourable  secretary  of  the  navy  could  not  be  reduced  without 
prejudice  to  the  public  service  ? 

1  have  now  done  with  the  law  authorizing  the  expedition,  and 
cheerfully  leave  it  for  the  public  to  decide  whether  I  have  or 
have  not  shown  that,  under  that  authority,  you  can  have  no  legal 
plea  for  your  late  proceedings.  I  have  said  more  on  this  head 
than  I  originally  intended,  because  it  was  evidently  the  point  of 
all  others  upon  which  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy,"  in  his  first  num- 
ber, relied  with  most  confidence  in  making  out  your  defence. 

Perhaps  the  most  curious  part  of  that  defence  is  the  positive 
tone  in  which  it  is  still  denied  that  Congress  or  the  executive  re- 
garded the  expedition  as  a  means  of  protection  to  our  commerce. 
I  have  already  reviewed  this  point  in  my  second  and  third  letters, 
and,  by  the  production  of  evidence  from  memorials,  reports, 
speeches,  &c.,  have  so  completely  removed  every  loop  upon 
which  a  doubt  could  be  hung,  that  nothing  but  an  unaccountable 


70  LETTERS    OF   A    CITIZEN. 

perversity  of  temper  in  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  could  have  in- 
duced him  to  reassert  a  proposition  so  absurd.  Where,  sir,  per- 
mit me  to  ask,  are  the  exigences  of  our  commerce  so  urgent  as 
in  the  very  regions  to  be  visited  by  the  expedition  ;  in  these  re- 
gions it  requires  protection,  and,  your  disingenuous  pertinacity  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding,  will  receive  it.  Do  you  suppose 
the  president  will  allow  you  to  compromise  the  character  of  the 
country  by  venting  your  personal  spleen  in  your  final  instructions, 
and,  through  them,  directing  the  expedition  to  explore  seas  and 
perform  labours  different  from  those  intended  by  Congress,  by  the 
executive,  and  by  the  nation  ? 

Will  you  learn  nothing  from  experience  ?  Have  you  not  even 
yet  suffered  sufficient  defeats  to  teach  you  how^  much  you  have 
overrated  your  official  influence,  and  that  the  country  will  not  per- 
mit you  to  trample  upon  its  laws,  or  trust  its  honour  or  its  inter- 
ests entirely  in  your  hands,  while  settling  the  character  of  a  great 
national  enterprise  ?  Yes,  sir,  your  final  instructions  will,  I  ven- 
ture to  predict,  be  examined  by  the  president  before  you  are  al- 
lowed to  despatch  the  squadron  ;  and  such  a  scrutiny  will  be  a 
sufficient  guarantee  that  the  true  purposes  of  the  undertaking  are 
fully  and  fairly  detailed.  I  know  that  you  are  committed  upon 
this  head,  and  perhaps  you  feel  that  the  only  chance  you  have  of 
escape  is  to  brave  it  out.  This  is  wrong.  When  the  plan  of 
denying  to  the  expedition  all  purposes  of  a  commercial  nature 
was  agreed  upon,  the  hope  of  success  was  so  feasible,  that  one  of 
your  ardent  temperament  was  readily  seduced  into  the  measure 
without  being  sufficiently  wary  in  calculating  the  chances  of  dis- 
comfiture. Be  assured,  however,  it  is  now  the  best  policy  to  re- 
treat with  what  grace  you  may,  as  retreat  you  ultimately  must, 
from  such  an  untenable  position ;  a  position  assumed,  as  you  well 
know,  for  the  sole  intent  of  defeating  the  expedition  before  Con- 
gress. I  have  told  you  the  device  was  appreciated  by  that  body  ; 
that  you  were  pitied  for  its  weakness  ;  and  that,  had  it  not  been  for 
your  oflUcial  promise,  yet  unfulfilled,  that  you  would  do  your 
duty,  you  had  probably  heard  something  on  this  subject  which, 
for  aught  I  know,  may  still  be  in  store  for  you,  "  nursing  its  wrath 
to  keep  it  warm." 

Suppose  you  obtain  permission  from  the  president  to  send  in  a 
little  message  from  vour  department  on  the  first  of  next  monih, 


LETTERS    OF   A    CITIZEN.  71 

asking  of  that  honourable  body  to  give  you  a  new  hearing.  Tell 
them  that,  from  the  vast  demand  the  exploring  squadron  will  make 
upon  the  specie ;  the  exposed  condition  in  which  it  will  leave  our 
commerce  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  the  utter  derangement  into 
which  it  will  throw  the  whole  naval  service  of  the  country,  which 
may  go  far  towards  breaking  up  all  our  foreign  naval  stations, 
and  on  numerous  other  grounds,  you  think  you  can  make  one 
more  hard  battle  against  the  "  whole  concern."  I  will  help  you, 
as  far  as  in  me  lies,  to  get  this  new  trial. 

The  column  of  extracts  from  your  reports  republished  by  "  A 
Friend  to  the  Navy"  requires  no  further  notice  from  me.  The 
sections  quoted  have  all  been  examined  in  my  preceding  letters, 
and  the  public  will  judge  between  us. 

A  "  Citizen"  does  not  think  that  the  vessels  of  the  "  squadron 
should  have  been  sent  out  long  since,  fit  or  unfit ;"  but  he  does 
think  they  should,  and,  with  good  faith  in  the  department,  he  is 
quite  sure  they  might,  have  been  long  since  despatched  to  sea, 
completely  equipped  ! 

I  cannot  forbear  to  notice  a  paragraph  at  the  close  of  "  A  Friend 
to  the  Navy's"  first  article.  It  reads  thus  :  "  Now,  although  it  is 
very  pleasant  weather  here  in  June  and  July,  it  is  quite  the  reverse 
at  Cape  Horn ;  it  is  winter  there,  and  the  ofi&cers  of  the  navy 
would  prefer  a  diiferent  season  for  doubling  the  cape,  if  a  '  Citizen' 
will  permit  them." 

This  Addisonian  sentence  was  doubtless  intended  as  a  pungent 
or  witty  retort,  I  do  not  know  which,  to  my  remark  that,  had  you 
done  your  duty,  the  expedition,  to  say  the  least,  would  "  now  be 
doubling  the  cape,  and  every  one  engaged  in  the  enterprise  full  of 
hopes  of  having  immediate  opportunities  of  fulfilling  their  country's 
expectations."  Truly,  you  pay  a  high  compliment  to  the  nautical 
skill  and  disregard  of  personal  exposure  which  I  had  hitherto 
supposed  a  characteristic  of'the  oflScers  of  the  navy,  and  which,  I 
presume,  is  characteristic  of  them,  unless  they  have  lost  all  such 
qualities  since  you  have  been  the  ofiicial  head  of  the  service. 
You  will  learn,  on  inquiry,  that  the  bugbear  of  doubling  Cape 
Horn  has  passed  away  in  the  minds  of  all  whose  reading  has  come 
down  to  a  later  date  than  the  days  of  Magellan,  Anson,  Davies, 
Schoten,  and  Le  Maire,  and  that  this  passage  is  fearlessly  encoun- 
tered by  our  whale  fleet,  on  their  outward  and  homeward  passages, 


72  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

without  Stopping  to  consider  what  month  will  bring  them  off  the 
cape.  Numbers  of  our  fellow-citizens  engaged  in  other  occupa- 
tions, and  that,  too,  not  unfrequently,  in  vessels  little  larger  than 
pilot-boats,  make  the  passage  at  all  seasons.  But  these  are  mer- 
chantmen, and  the  "  officers  of  the  navy,"  says  their  judicious 
friend,  "would  prefer  a  different  season  for  doubling  the  cape" 
than  the  terrible  months  of  June  and  July.  It  is  to  be  hoped  they 
will  exhibit  a  due  sense  of  gratitude  to  the  friend  who  kindly 
makes  known  to  the  world  his  endeavours  to  gratify  them  in  so 
commendable  a  preference.  How  you  can  think  of  allowing  offi- 
cers to  go  as  near  as  possible  to  the  South  Pole,  whose  lives  you 
would  not  risk  in  doubling  the  cape  in  winter,  I  have  yet  to  learn. 
In  conclusion,  if  you  have  any  influence  with  "  A  Friend  to  the 
Navy,"  advise  him  to  keep  his  temper,  as  well  as  more  closely  to 
his  text ;  counsel  him  to  be  careful  how  he  wages  a  war  personal 
and  vindictive  with  me.  I  have  thus  far  confined  myself  to  the 
record,  and  the  subject  at  issue  between  us  ;  tell  him  that  whether 
I  am  Mr.  This  or  Mr.  That  is  no  concern  of  his.  I  have  to  do 
with  you  and  with  the  expedition ;  let  him  answer  for  you  as  he 
can,  but  inform  him  that  shrinking  from  the  main  points  of  a  con- 
troversy, and  the  substitution  of  personalities  for  arguments,  are 
ever  the  detmier  resort  of  a  puerile,  malignant,  and  defeated  adver- 
sary. Should  it  ever  be  discovered  that  such  subterfuges  were 
used  by  a  person  high  in  place,  they  will  be  considered  little  to 
his  credit.  People  will  be  apt  to  say  that  the  thick  integuments 
of  his  conscience  had  been  penetrated  ;  that  he  felt  the  sling,  and 
was  writhing  under  the  merited  chastisement  of  "  Citizen,"  whose 
homethrusts  have  told  exactly  where  he  wished,  and  the  public 
good  required  that  they  should  tell. 

With  great  respect,  I  have  the  honour  to  be 

Your  most  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

New-York,  August  18,  1837. 


LETTERS    OF   A   FRIEND   TO   THE   NAVY.  7t 

DEFENCE  OF  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY. 
III. 

Had  the  "  Citizen"  been  satisfied  with  the  Sioop-of-war,  and 
such  smaller  vessels  as  might  be  necessary  for  a  surveying  and 
exploring  expedition,  with  crews  amounting  to  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  such  as  was  intended  by  the  law  of  the  18th  of 
May,  1836,  it  might  have  been  sent  out  before  the  meeting  of 
Congress  in  December  last,  with  such  books  and  instruments 
necessary  for  the  scientific  corps  as  could  be  procured  in  the 
United  States,  and  the  appropriations  would  have  covered  the 
expense ;  but  when  it  was  determined  that  a  frigate  and  a  large 
Store-ship,  then  on  the  stocks,  together  with  two  brigs  and  a 
schooner,  not  then  begun,  should  be  employed,  with  crews  amount- 
ing, oflficers  included,  to  more  than  six  hundred  men,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  another  session  of  Congress  must  elapse  and  further 
appropriations  be  made  before  this  fleet  could  be  sent  to  sea.  Yet 
the  "  Citizen"  is  furious  at  the  delay  which  his  own  plans  have 
created,  and  the  secretary  of  the  navy  is  held  up  to  obloquy  in  the 
public  papers  because  the  expedition  is  not  now  doubling  Cape 
Horn. 

The  "  Citizen,"  in  his  present  state  of  mind,  no  doubt  thinks  that 
everything  should  yield  to  the  expedition;  that  providing  for  the 
Pacific,  the  Brazilian,  and  West  India  stations  was  comparatively 
but  of  little  importance,  and  that  the  small  delay  from  the  passing 
the  act  authorizing  the  expedition  to  the  close  of  the  session  was 
not  to  be  tolerated.  "  May  and  June,"  he  says  to  the  secretary, 
"  passed  away,  and  no  step  had  been  taken  by  you  to  put  in  train 
the  preparations  for  the  expedition.  You  now  began  to  speak 
plainly,  and  to  hold  the  language  that  twelve  months  would  be 
necessary  to  complete  the  outfit." 

The  act  authorizing  the  expedition  became  a  law  on  the  18th 
of  May,  not  on  the  10th,  as  frequently  asserted  by  the  "  Citizen." 
It  authorized  the  president,  not  the  secretary,  to  fit  out  the  expe- 
dition. The  secretary's  authority  did  not  commence  until  in- 
structed by  the  president. 

K 


74  .OTTERS   OF   A   PRIEND   TO   THE    NAVY. 

As  the  attention  of  the  president  was  incessantly  called  to  sub- 
jects of  great  importance,  pressed  upon  him  at  the  close  of  a 
most  arduous  session  of  Congress,  the  exploring  expedition  was 
suffered  to  rest  for  a  few  days. 

Soon  after  the  middle  of  June  the  secretary  was  instructed  to 
write  to  the  officer  selected  as  commander  of  the  expedition. 
This  was  done  without  delay  ;  some  days  were  spent  before  the 
necessary  consultations  with  this  officer  could  be  had  as  to  the 
vessels  to  be  employed  ;  whether  a  sloop-of-war  as  a  flag-ship  and 
smaller  vessels,  or  whether  a  frigate,  a  store-ship,  two  brigs,  and 
a  schooner;  whether  ships  should  be  repaired,  purchased,  or 
built  for  the  purpose  ;  all  these  points  required  and  received  a  few 
days'  consideration. 

The  secretary,  as  soon  as  he  was  authorized  to  do  so,  gave 
orders  for  preparing  the  ships  and  for  recruiting  the  seamen.  On 
the  6th  of  July  he  gave  orders  that  the  frigate  Macedonian  should 
be  completed  without  delay,  and  on  the  7th,  11th,  and  20th  of 
that  month  orders  were  given  for  preparing  to  build  the  brigs 
Pioneer  and  Consort,  and  schooner  Pilot,  with  the  least  practica- 
ble delay.  The  completion  of  the  store-ship  Relief  had  been 
previously  ordered. 

The  recruiting  for  this  service  was  put  under  the  superintend- 
ence of  Commodore  Jones,  and  Lieutenants  Tatnall,  R.  R.  Pink- 
ham,  Purviance,  and  H.  W.  Morris  were  ordered  to  report  to  him 
for  duty  in  this  recruiting  service  as  soon  as  he  required  them ; 
and  others  were  subsequently  ordered  at  his  request  for  the  same 
service. 

An  agent.  Lieutenant  Wilkes,  was  selected  without  delay  to  go 
to  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  such  instruments  and 
books  necessary  for  the  expedition  as  could  not  conveniently  be 
procured  in  the  United  States.  A  few  days'  preparation  was  in 
dispensably  necessary  in  this  case ;  but  Lieutenant  Wilkes  em- 
barked at  New-York  for  Liverpool  on  the  6th  of  August. 

In  all  this  the  "  Citizen"  can  see  nothing  but  insuff'erable  delay, 
for  which  he  holds  the  secretary  responsible.  His  perceptions 
have  become  confused  by  tlie  monomania  under  which  he  has  la- 
boured for  the  last  twelve  years,  which  impels  him  with  irresisti- 
ble force  to  the  south,  to  carry  into  effect  his  schemes  of  circling 
the  globe  within  the  antarctic  circle;  casting  anchor  on  the  point 


LETTERS    OP    A    FRIEND   TO    THE    NAVY  75 

where  all  tne  meridians  terminate ;  fastening  the  star-spangled 
banner  to  the  pole  of  the  earth  itself;  and  many  other  vagaries 
too  tedious  to  mention. 

In  these  preparations  none,  upon  a  full  knowledge  of  the  case, 
except  the  "  Citizen,"  and  a  few  others  who  have  been  bitten  by 
him,  can  see  any  cause  for  throwing  censure  upon  the  secretary. 

These  preparations  required  extraordinary  exertions,  not  on  the 
part  of  the  secretary,  for  no  more  was  required  of  him  than  giv- 
ing the  necessary  orders,  but  of  the  officers  under  whom  the 
ships  were  to  be  prepared  and  the  men  recruited ;  and  particu- 
larly of  the  commander  of  the  expedition,  under  whose  superin- 
lendence  the  whole  was  placed ;  and,  it  is  believed,  the  "  Citizen" 
will  not  accuse  that  officer  of  any  want  of  zeal  or  diligence  in  the 
performance  of  any  duty  assigned  him. 

It,  however,  suited  the  purpose  of  the  "  Citizen"  that  these  ex- 
traordinary exertions,  which  had  not  been  attended  with  all  the  anti- 
cipated success,  should  be  considered  as  the  extraordinary  exertions 
of  the  secretary  of  the  navy.  In  his  fifth  number  he  says  to  the 
secretary,  "  Thus  you  tell  him  (the  president),  that  inasmuch  as  it 
was  his  earnest  wish  that  the  intentions  of  Congress  in  authorizing 
the  measure  should  be  carried  into  effect  with  the  least  possible 
delay,  you  had  not  only  resolved  to  clothe  Commodore  Jones  with 
unusual  powers,  and  to  grant  him  every  facihty  for  the  purpose  of 
shipping  crews,  hut  that  you  had  yourself  determined  to  make  an 
extraordinary  effort  to  accomplish  that  object."  The  words,  that 
you  had  yourself  are  a  fabrication,  and  are  not  in  the  report  which 
he  pretends  to  quote ;  and  this  fabrication  serves  as  the  basis  of  a 
series  of  misrepresentations  about  extraordinary  efforts. 

The  language  of  the  report  to  the  president  is,  "  As,  however,  it 
was  your  earnest  wish  that  the  intentions  of  Congress  in  autho- 
rizing the  measure  should  be  carried  into  effect  with  the  least  pos- 
sible delay,  and  that  the  expedition  should  be  fitted  out  upon  the 
extensive  and  liberal  scale  which  the  indications  of  public  opinion 
seemed  to  require  ;  and  as  the  officer,  Captain  Thomas  Ap.  Cates- 
by  Jones,  selected  for  the  command  of  the  expedition,  gave  assu- 
rances that  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  seamen  could  be  obviated 
by  giving  him  power  to  have  them  recruited  under  his  immediate 
superintendence,  and  for  this  particular  service  it  was  determined 
to  make  an  extraordinary  effort  to  accomplish  these  objects.''^ 


76  LETTERS    OP    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

It  was  unusual  to  put  the  recruiting  service  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  a  commander  of  a  squadron ;  it  is  unusual  to  recruit 
seamen  for  a  particular  service ;  yet  both  are  done  on  extraordi- 
nary occasions,  and  the  president,  in  fact,  determined  and  directed 
that  it  should  be  done  in  this  case.  The  secretary  gave  the  ne- 
cessary orders.  The  extraordinary  duties  vv^ere  to  be  performed 
by  others,  not  by  the  secretary.  He  does  not  recruit  or  superin- 
tend the  recruiting  of  seamen. 

The  "  Citizen,"  who  seems  disposed  to  regulate  the  whole  police 
of  the  navy  department,  complains  that  money  for  advances  was 
withheld  from  the  assistant  recruiting  officers,  without  which  ad- 
vances seamen  cannot  be  induced  to  ship  either  in  merchant  or 
naval  service. 

Sufficient  funds  were  in  the  hands  of  the  officers  at  the  head  of 
the  respective  recruiting  rendezvous,  and  the  usual  advances  were 
made  to  the  seamen  presenting  themselves  at  the  receiving  ships. 
To  open  accounts  with  all  the  assistant  recruiting  officers  was 
unnecessary,  and  would  have  been  attended  with  great  inconve- 
nience. It  was  not  done  for  Commodore  Ballard ;  it  was  not  done 
for  Commodore  Nicholson  ;  it  will  not  be  done  to  please  the  "  Cit- 
izen.." The  idea  of  making  advances  to  seamen  to  enable  them  to 
go  to  the  receiving  ship  is  new.  Few  of  them,  with  such  advan- 
ces, would  find  their  way  to  the  right  ships.  Recruiting  officers 
know  that,  after  advances  are  made  to  seamen,  they  must  be  guard- 
ed with  great  care,  or  they  desert. 

The  "  Citizen"  relates  the  case  of  an  officer  in  the  District  of  Co- 
lumbia, who  had  obtained  a  thousand  dollars  upon  his  requisition, 
approved  by  the  commander  of  the  exploring  squadron,  which  sum 
he  was  forthwith  ordered  by  the  navy  department  to  return  to  the 
treasury. 

In  May  last,  when  there  was  no  longer  any  serious  difficulty 
apprehended  in  recruiting  seamen  for  the  expedition,  an  officer  at- 
tempted to  establish  a  recruiting  station  in  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia, and  obtained  from  the  navy  agent  at  Washington  one  thousand 
dollars  without  the  consent  of  the  head  of  the  department.  It  is 
true,  his  requisition  for  this  sum  was  approved  by  the  officer  com- 
manding the  expedition,  who  had  good  reason  to  believe  the  meas- 
ure had  been  sanctioned  by  the  secretary  of  the  navy ;  otherwise 
the  requisition  would  not  have  been  approved.     The  transaction 


LETTERS    OF  A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY.  77 

was  irregular,  and  he  was  very  properly  ordered  to  restore  the 
money.  In  which  case  no  appeal  lies  to  the  "  Citizen  ;"  and  if  the 
officer  has  sent  his  report  of  this  case  to  the  "  Citizen,"  he  has 
prohably  made  a  mistake  in  the  direction. 

The  finishing  of  the  frigate  Macedonian  and  store-ship  Relief, 
and  the  building  of  the  two  brigs  and  schooner,  required  extraor- 
dinary exertions  on  the  part  of  the  officers  to  whom  these  duties 
were  assigned,  and  for  the  performance  of  which  they  are  entitled 
to  much  credit ;  yet  all  this  does  not  satisfy  the  "  Citizen,"  and 
in  his  No.  V.  he  asserts  that  the  Macedonian  was  not  completed 
and  in  a  condition  to  receive  her  complement  of  men  until  June  of 
this  year.  It  is  believed  the  "  Citizen"  is  somewhat  incorrect  ; 
but  if  what  he  states  is  true,  is  it  the  fault  of  the  secretary  ?  The 
expedition  could  not  be  sent  out  upon  the  proposed  plan  without 
the  frigate ;  it  was  therefore  impossible  that  the  squadron  should 
be  now  doubling  Cape  Horn. 

In  March  last,  and  before  the  Macedonian  was  finished,  as  the 
"  Citizen"  says,  it  was  discovered,  from  the  sailing  of  the  Pioneer, 
that  she  was  not  fit  for  service  in  this  expedition ;  and  the  Con- 
sort and  Pilot  were  believed  to  be  in  a  still  worse  condition.  Until 
the  necessary  alterations  shall  be  made  in  these  vessels  they  can- 
not be  sent  out  as  a  part  of  this  exploring  squadron  ;  so  that,  in 
fact,  there  has  been  no  time  at  which  this  squadron  could  have 
been  sent  to  sea,  even  if  there  had  been  no  difficulty  as  to  recruit- 
ing seamen.  In  this  no  delay  was  feared  after  the  time  that  the 
vessel  could  be  prepared  ;  and  the  secretary,  in  his  report  to  the 
president  of  the  6th  of  February  last,  says,  "  the  difficulties  which 
have  retarded  the  recruiting  for  this  service  are  nearly  obviated ; 
and  it  is  confidently  hoped  that  in  a  short  time  there  will  be  suf- 
ficient numbers  recruited  to  complete  the  crews  of  all  the  vessels 
of  the  squadron." 

The  "  Citizen"  very  unnecessarily  w^orks  himself  into  a  fury 
about  the  Macedonian ;  in  his  same  number  five  he  says  to  the  sec- 
retary, "  In  speaking  of  the  vessels,  you  proceed  to  tell  the  presi- 
dent that '  the  frigate  and  store-ship  which  were  on  the  stocks  when 
this  measure  was  authorized  have  been  finished  and  equipped,  and 
are  now  receiving  their  crews.'  What  unaccountable  hallucination 
could  have  possessed  your  mind  when  you  wrote  this  sentence  ? 
Did  you,  in  the  first  draught  of  your  report,  put  down  what  ought 


78  LETTERS  OF  A  FRIEND  TO  THE  NAVY. 

to  have  been  the  condition  of  those  vessels,  and  aftenvard  forget 
to  alter  it  ?  How  else  could  you  venture  to  tell  the  president,  and, 
through  him,  Congress  and  the  whole  country,  that  the  frigate  was 
finished  and  equipped,  and  was  receiving  her  men,  when  the  fact 
vi^as,  that  the  frigate,  at  that  time,  was  not  finished,  not  equipped, 
nor  was  she  receiving  her  crew  ;  so  far  from  it,  she  had  not  a 
bulkhead  up  or  a  yarn  over  the  masthead, ;  and  it  was  not  until 
June,  six  months  after  this  official  statement,  that  she  was  com- 
pleted, and  in  a  condition  to  receive  her  complement  of  men  ! !  /" 

One  would  suppose,  from  this  flourish  and  bluster,  that  some 
terrible  deception  had  been  practised  upon  the  world. 

Commodore  Warrington  reported  to  the  secretary  that  the  Ma- 
cedonian was  launched  on  the  1st  of  November.  As  this  was  the 
flag-ship  of  the  squadron.  Captain  Jones  was  ordered  on  the  fifth  of 
that  month  to  report  to  Commodore  Warrington  for  duty,  as  com- 
mander of  this  squadron.  He  had  before  reported  on  the  3d  of 
October,  that,  up  to  the  26th  of  September,  one  hundred  and  nine 
able  seamen,  ordinary  seamen,  and  boys,  had  been  recruited  for 
the  exploring  expedition  ;  and  that  Captain  Armstrong  slated  that, 
as  the  service  was  popular,  he  looked  for  much  better  success. 
There  was  no  doubt  of  the  zeal  of  Captain  Jones  in  putting  his 
flag-ship  in  a  condition  to  receive  her  crew.  One  month  after  this 
time,  when  the  secretary  made  his  report,  he  was  justified  in  be- 
lieving that  the  Macedonian,  as  well  as  the  Relief,  were  so  far 
finished  and  equipped  as  to  be  receiving  their  crews,  and  so  stated 
in  his  report  to  the  president  of  the  3d  of  December.  It  seems 
the  Relief  was  so  far  finished  as  to  be  receiving  her  crew,  but 
that  the  frigate  was  not.  Commodore  Jones,  on  receiving  this  re- 
port, would  have  stated  the  error  had  he  deemed  it  of  immediate 
importance,  and  on  the  31st  of  January  he  reported  to  the  secre- 
tary that  the  Macedonian  was  launched  in  October  from  the 
Navy  Yard  at  Gosport ;  that,  from  the  latest  information,  she  is 
not  yet  ready  to  receive  her  crew,  though  she  probably  will  be  by 
the  time  the  scientific  corps  can  be  ready  to  embark,  and  a  sufH- 
cient  number  of  men  obtained,  for  which  prospects  are  becoming 
more  favourable.  This  information  was  communicated  to  the 
president,  and,  through  him,  to  Congress  and  the  whole  country. 

This  differs,  however,  very  much  from  the  statement  of  the 
"  Citizen,"  that  the  frigate  was  not  in  a  situation  to  receive  her 


LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY.  7Sf 

complement  of  men  until  the  month  of  June.    Perhaps  some  unac- 
countable hallucination  has  possessed  the  mind  of  the  commodore. 

The  "  Citizen,"  in  continuance,  says  to  the  secretary,  "  The  pres- 
ident is  further  informed  that  you  had  not  yet  attempted  to  organ- 
ize the  scientific  corps  for  the  expedition,  but  you  intimate  that 
this  duty  may  be  performed  as  soon  as  accommodations  can  be 
afforded  them  in  the  vessels.  Strange  incongruity  this  !  In  the 
first  place,  the  vessels  are  finished,  and  receiving  their  crews  ;  in 
the  next  you  tell  us  that  the  organization  of  the  corps  is  delayed 
until  the  vessels  are  finished  and  ready  to  receive  themP  The 
last  sentence  is  a  pitiful  fabrication  of  the  ''  Citizen,"  and  is  not  to 
be  found  in  the  secretary's  report.  The  language  of  the  secretary 
is,  "  the  scientific  corps  may  be  organized  as  soon  as  accommoda- 
tions can  be  afforded  them  in  the  vessels  of  the  exploring  squad- 
ron." 

The  accommodations  for  the  scientific  corps  will  be  something 
different  from  the  mere  finishing  the  vessels  so  as  to  receive  their 
crews.  The  Independence  was  finished,  and  her  crew  on  board, 
before  the  accommodations  for  Mr.  Dallas  and  his  family  were  pre- 
pared. But  it  is  disgusting  to  pursue  farther  these  pitiful  mis- 
representations. 

The  "  Citizen"  in  No.  II.  vents  some  terrible  threats,  which 
have  not  yet  been  carried  into  execution.  He  says  to  the  secre- 
tary, "  Permit  me  to  call  your  attention  to  the  very  last  paragraph 
in  the  able  report  to  which  I  have  alluded"  (a  report  from  the  com- 
mittee of  commerce) ;  "  it  is  much  to  the  point,  and  you  may  draw 
instruction  from  it.  Yea,  more,  it  will  furnish  you  with  an  argu- 
ment to  refute  the  contemptible  fabrication  of  the  weak  marplot- 
ting  enemies  of  this  truly  national  enterprise,  who,  in  the  face  of 
two  hundred  pages  of  printed  documents,  have  had  the  effrontery 
to  say  the  expedition  would  have  little  or  nothing  to  do  with  the 
protection  of  commerce  in  the  regions  to  be  examined.  I  will 
give  the  authors  of  this  device  a  loithering  review  before  I  have 
done.  Let  them  prepare  for  it.  I  know  them,  and  may  feel  it  my 
duty  to  drag  them  from  their  dark  retreats,  perfectly  regardless 
who  may  be  found  in  their  company,  or  what  aspect  they  may 
wear  when  exposed  to  the  fair  face  of  day."  Who  these  miscre- 
ants are  I  cannot  imagine,  and  the  "  Citizen"  does  not  think  proper 
to  inform  us.     Perhaps  he  means  the  members  of  Congress  who 


80  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

passed  the  act  of  the  18th  May,  1836,  expressly  hmiting  the  ex- 
ploring expedition  to  a  sloop-of-war  and  smaller  vessels,  and  its 
objects  to  those  of  surveying  and  exploring.  This  body  is  prob- 
ably the  only  one  who  have  acted  in  the  face  of  two  hundred 
pages  of  printed  documents,  or  ever  read  them.  Two  hundred 
pages  of  printed  documents  !  They  must  have  amounted  to  the 
size  of  a  cheese  !  The  audacious  wretches  !  The  "  Citizen"  in 
mercy  gives  them  notice  to  prepare  for  a  withering. 

It  is  probable  that  these  two  hundred  pages  of  printed  docu- 
ments were  composed,  in  part,  of  the  report  of  the  "  Citizen"  himself 
of  the  29th  of  September,  1828,  describing  certain  islands,  reefs, 
and  shoals  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  &c.  If  so,  I  have  something  to 
say  respecting  these  two  hundred  pages  of  printed  documents, 
which  ought  to  be  considered  in  extenuation  of  the  offence  of  those 
who  have  excited  the  wrath  of  the  "  Citizen."  This  report,  if  it  is 
to  form  the  guide  for  the  movements  of  the  exploring  squadron  in 
the  Pacific,  will  as  certainly  involve  them  in  trouble  as  they 
double  Cape  Horn. 

If  the  "  Citizen"  shall  be  the  Palenurus  of  the  squadron,  with 
his  report  for  his  guide,  he  will  swamp  the  whole  concern,  and 
will  never  cast  anchor  at  the  point  where  all  the  meridians  ter- 
minate, nor  leave  the  star-spangled  banner  to  wave  on  the  axis  of 
the  earth  itself. 

In  1828,  soon  after  this  report  was  made,  a  copy  of  it  was  sent 
to  the  vice  admiral.  Kruzenstern,  of  St.  Petersburg,  a  distin- 
guished navigator,  illustrious  for  his  voyage  round  the  world,  see- 
ing it  had  received  the  notice  of  the  American  Congress,  he 
thought,  no  doubt,  he  had  gained  a  treasure  of  reefs,  rocks,  and 
islands,  of  which  he  commenced  the  examination.  He  soon  dis- 
covered that  the  information  which  the  writer  had  received  from 
the  whalers,  and  which  he  had  reported  in  his  memoir,  was  not  of 
a  nature  to  inspire  any  great  conhdence.  That  m  his  memoir  we 
see  islands  bearing  the  same  name,  but  dillering  many  degrees  in 
longitude  ;  and  many  others  indicated  under  the  same  latitude  and 
longitude  which  certainly  were  but  one  and  the  same  island  ;  that 
we  find  in  it  descriptions  of  islands  so  circumstantially  detailed, 
that  one  can  hardly  call  in  {(ucstion  their  existence,  but  of  which 
the  nonexistence  could  be  equally  well  proved,  and  with  the  same 
semblance  of  truth.     And  speaking  of  another  collection  of  a  like 


LETTERS   OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVV.  81 

character,  he  says  that  it  resembles  that  of  the  author  in  this,  that 
it  is  but  a  mass  of  names  placed  without  the  least  discrimination  • 
"  que  ce  u'est  qu'wa  amas  de  nommes  places  sans  la  moindre  cri- 
tiqued 

This  is  given  in  the  ad,vertiseinent  to  his  "  SuppUmens  au  Re- 
cueil  de  Memoires  Hydrographiques^^  printed  at  St.  Petersburg, 
1835,  pages  v.  and  vi.,  a  part  of  which  I  will  quote  in  the  admi- 
ral's language:  "Dans  Ic  temps  ou  le  gouvernement  Americain  se 
disposait  h  preparer  une  expedition  pour  explorer  I'Ocean  Paci- 
fique,  Mr.  Reynolds,  qui  devait  etre  le  chef  de  la  partie  scienti- 
fique  de  cette  expedition,  presenta  au  secretaire  de  la  marine,  Mr. 
Southard,  un  memoire  dont  on  m'a  communique  une  copie,  ct 
dans  lequel  il  rend  compte  des  resultats  des  recherches  qu'il  avait 
faites  dans  les  differens  ports  des  Etats  Unis  au  sujet  des  decou- 
vertes  des  baleiniers  Americains.  Les  informations  qu'il  avait 
revues  de  ces  baleiniers,  et  qu'il  rapport  dans  son  memoire,  ne 
sont  cependant  pas  de  nature  a  pouvoir  inspirer  une  grande  con- 
fiance.  On  y  voit  des  iles  portant  le  meme  nom,  et  differant  de 
plusieurs  degres  en  longitude  ;  il  en  est  plusieurs  autres,  iudi- 
quees  sous  les  memes  latitude  et  longitude,  qui  ne  doivent  etre 
certainement  qu'ure  meme  ile.  On  y  trouve  des  descriptions  d'iles 
si  detaillees,  qu'il  semblerait  qu'on  ne  pent  guere  revoquer  en 
doute  leur  existence,  mars  dont  la  nonexistence  pent  etre  egale- 
ment  demontree  avec  autant  de  vraisemblance,"  &c. 

The  admiral  heard  no  more  of  the  writer,  except  that,  in  1829 
and  1830,  two  brigs,  the  Seraph  and  Annawan,  were  sent  out 
under  Captains  Pendleton  and  Palmer,  and  that  Mr.  Reynolds 
and  Mr.  Watson  accompanied  them,  en  qualiU  de  savajis. 

As  to  the  character  of  the  "  Citizen"  as  a  navigator  in  1828, 
when  he  attempted,  by  his  report,  to  enlighten  the  nautical  world, 
the  amount  is  soon  told.  He  was  a  sailor  by  inspiration,  and  his 
voyages  had  been  chiefly  made  on  dry  land.  How  he  became  a 
savant  remains  yet  to  be  discovered. 

Thus  has  this  industrious  "  Citizen"  contrived  not  only  to  make 
himself  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of  all  who  may  read  these  observa- 
tions of  Admiral  Kruzenstern,  but  to  throw  some  degree  of  ridi- 
cule upon  the  present  exploring  expedition. 

To  divert  this  ridicule  from  the  officers  of  the  navy  who  may 
embark  in  this  expedition,  and  to  confine  it  to  its  proper  source, 

L 


82  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

and  to  show  that  the  scientific  corps  selected  are  not  of  the  school 
of  the  savant  in  question,  shall  be  the  peculiar  care  of 

A  FRIEND  TO  THE  NAVY, 

August  10,  1837. 


IV. 

Among  the  gross  misrepresentations  on  the  part  of  the  "  Citi- 
zen," published  in  the  Times,  none  is  more  frequently  repealed 
or  pertinaciously  adhered  to  than  this,  that  the  secretary  of  the 
navy  considers  the  great  object  of  the  South  Sea  exploring  expe- 
dition to  be  an  approach  as  nearly  as  possible  to  tlie  South  Pole. 
This,  after  being  stated  in  a  variety  of  ways,  is  repealed  for  the 
last  time  in  his  No.  VI.  in  these  words  :  "  Like  your  statement 
that  to  approach  as  near  as  possible  to  the  South  Pole  was  the 
object  of  the  enterprise,  it  is,  to  say  the  least,  an  evasion  of  the 
true  purposes  designed  to  be  accomplished."  And  then  he  ex- 
claims, "  If  the  great  objects  of  the  expedition  be  to  go  as  near 
as  practicable  to  the  South  Pole,  for  what  purpose  do  you  send  a 
botanist  to  that  region  where  no  vegetation  exists  ?  Why  do  you 
incur  the  expense  of  sending  a  philologist  to  attend  to  the  interest- 
ing department  of  language  w'here  there  are  no  inhabitants  ?"'  6ic. 

Now  all  this  going  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  South  Pole  is 
the  work'of  the  "Citizen's"  own  imagination.  The  language  of 
the  secretary  in  his  report  laid  before  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives is,  "  The  great  objects  of  this  expedition,  as  understood  by 
this  department  are  to  explore  the  seas  of  the  southern  hemi- 
sphere, more  particularly  in  high  latitudes  and  in  regions  as  near 
the  pole  as  may  be  approached  ivithoiit  danger,''^  &c. 

To  approach  the  pole  as  nearly  as  practicable,  or  possible, 
would  be  to  encounter  much  danger;  but  it  is  distinctly  to  be  un- 
derstood, from  the  language  of  the  secretary,  that  it  was  not  ex- 
pected that  such  danger  should  be  incinrcd  ;  and,  of  course,  it 
could  not  be  expected  that  the  expedition  should  approach  as 
nearly  as  possible  or  practicable  to  the  South  Pole  ;  nor,  uideed, 
make  any  nearer  approach  to  it  than  could  be  accom})lishcd  with- 
out danger. 

The  language  of  the  secnUary  was  calculated  to   remove  the 


LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY.  83 

apprehensions  of  those  who  might  embark  in  this  expedition,  that 
their  lives  were  to  be  unnecessarily  exposed  among  icebergs  near 
the  pole  for  the  purpose  of  testing  certain  wild  theories  that  had 
long  been  before  the  public.  It  was  an  assurance  to  them  that 
they  should  not  be  carried  within  the  verge  of  that  great  opening 
of  sixteen  degrees  around  the  pole  leading  to  a  concave  and  hab- 
itable world,  according  to  the  "  Citizen's"  former  theory  as  exhib- 
ited in  his  lectures  ;  nor  required  to  do  what  the  "  Citizen,"  in  his 
late  address,  considers  as  quite  practicable,  viz.,  to  "  circle  the 
globe  within  the  antarctic  circle,  and  attain  the  pole  itself;  yea,  to 
cast  anchor  on  that  point  where  all  the  meridians  terminate  ;  where 
our  eagle  and  star-spangled  banner  may  be  unfurled  and  planted, 
and  left  to  wave  on  the  axis  of  the  earth  itself !  where,  amid  the 
novelty,  grandeur,  and  sublimity  of  the  scene,  the  vessels,  instead 
of  sweeping  a  vast  circuit  by  the  diurnal  movements  of  the  earth, 
would  simply  turn  round  once  in  twenty-four  hours  !" 

In  a  letter  of  a  former  secretary  of  the  navy,  of  the  29th  of 
January,  1829,  to  the  chairman  of  the  committee  on  naval  affairs, 
to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  respecting  the  objects  of  the 
South  Sea  exploring  expedition,  proposed  at  that  time,  it  is  stated 
"  that  the  examinations  of  both  known  and  unknown  islands,  &:c., 
will  be,  in  part,  in  high  southern  latitudes,  and  the  instructions 
would  naturally  and  necessarily  be  to  find  and  describe  all  ivhich 
exist  there ;  and  as  far  to  the  south  as  circumstances  would  per- 
mit them  safely  and  prudently  to  go ;"  so  that  the  views  of  the 
former  and  present  secretary  are  much  alike  as  to  the  regions  in 
high  southern  latitudes  to  be  visited  by  a  South  Sea  exploring 
expedition.  Whether  they  approach  the  South  Pole  as  nearly  as 
may  be  without  danger,  or  advance  as  far  to  the  south  as  circum- 
stances would  permit  them  safely  and  prudently  to  go,  must  be 
nearly  one  and  the  same  thing. 

And  does  the  "  Citizen"  intend  that  the  object  of  visiting  high 
southern  latitudes,  such  as  can  be  approached  without  danger, 
shall  be  abandoned  ?  Does  he  think  that  such  purpose  cannot  be 
entertained,  because  we  send  out  a  botanist  to  regions  where  no 
vegetation  exists,  and  a  philologist  where  there  are  no  inhabitants  ? 

After  the  great  preparations  that  have  been  made  for  exploring 
the  South  Seas  w-ith  vessels  as  strong  as  wood  and  iron  can  make 
them,  constructed  for  the  express  purpose  of  making  their  way 


84  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY. 

through  fields  of  ice,  and  more  fit  for  thai  than  anything  else,  the 
pubhc  will  expect  something  more  than  has  been  accomplished 
by  any  other  exploring  expedition  ;  more  particularly  as  the  "  Cit- 
izen" himself,  in  his  famous  address,  page  97,  gives  it  as  his  delib- 
erate opinion  "  that  the  ninetieth  degree,  or  the  South  Pole,  may 
be  reached  by  the  navigator,"  unless  intercepted  by  land.  The 
public  will  expect  that  high  southern  and  unexplored  regions  will 
be  examined  by  our  exploring  squadron  ;  and  if  they  return  with- 
out making  a  nearer  approach  to  the  Pole  than  any  other  explo- 
ring expedition  has  credit  for,  be  assured  that  no  small  degree  of 
disappointment  and  mortification  will  be  manifested  by  those  who 
have  to  pay  the  expense  of  this  enterprise. 

Although  it  is  particularly  desirable  to  extend  our  researches 
into  high  southern  latitudes,  yet  but  a  very  small  portion  of  time 
can  be  devoted  exclusively  to  this  purpose.  While  the  expedi- 
tion is  out,  there  will  probably  be  but  two  seasons,  and  those 
short  ones,  when  these  high  latitudes  can  be  reached  without  dan- 
ger ;  but  those  seasons  must  be  improved  to  the  greatest  advan- 
tage, or  one  of  the  most  interesting  objects  of  the  expedition  will 
be  lost.  Five  sixths  of  the  time  of  the  cruise  the  squadron  will 
be  in  lower  latitudes  and  milder  climates,  making  surveys  and  ex- 
plorations ;  discovering  islands,  rocks,  reefs,  and  shoals  ;  ascertain- 
ing latitudes  and  longitudes  ;  affording  aid  and  protection  to  our 
merchants  and  whalers  ;  rescuing  wrecked  mariners,  and  perform- 
ing a  variety  of  other  duties  not  interfering  with  the  legitimate 
and  proper  objects  of  a  surveying  and  exploring  expedition.  But 
the  results  of  the  examinations  in  high  latitudes,  in  this  one  sixth 
of  the  time,  will  be  looked  to  with  more  intense  interest  than  any 
others  of  the  whole  cruise. 

The  "  Citizen"  is  now  endeavouring  to  divert  the  attention  of 
the  public  from  these  examinations  in  high  southern  latitudes,  be- 
cause he  knows  not  what  to  do  there  with  a  frigate  of  thirteen 
hundred  tons  burden  and  drawing  twenty  feet  water.  He  will  be 
equally  perplexed  to  know  what  to  do  with  her  among  the  shoals 
and  coral  reefs  of  the  South  Sea  Islands.  But,  by  way  of  obvi- 
ating difficulties,  he  has  determined  to  convert  lliis  surveying  and 
exploring  c\])cdition  into  an  expedition  for  the  protection  of  com- 
merce ;  the  objects  of  surveying  and  exploring  being  considered 
by  him  as  of  secondary  importance.     In  this  he  will  fail. 


LETTERS  OF  A  FRIEND  TO  THE  NAVY.  85 

In  the  first  place,  Congress  have  made  this  a  surveying  and  ex- 
ploring expedition,  and  not  one  for  the  protection  of  commerce. 
The  armament  and  equipment  of  the  vessels  prepared  are  en- 
tirely different  from  the  armament  and  equipment  of  vessels  sent 
out  for  the  protection  of  commerce.  The  character  of  the  expe- 
dition is  peaceful  The  vessels  will  be  prepared  to  defend  them- 
selves, and  the  vessels  and  property  of  merchants  and  v<rhalers, 
against  the  pirates  and  natives  of  the  regions  they  may  visit,  but 
not  to  attack  armed  vessels  of  any  maritime  power  with  which 
we  may  be  at  war. 

In  this  enlightened  age,  it  is  understood  that  exploring  expedi- 
tions are  exempt  from  the  laws  of  war,  and  our  vessels  engaged 
in  this  expedition  will  not  be  subject  to  capture. 

What  can  be  wanted  of  a  scientific  corps  on  an  expedition  for 
the  protection  of  commerce  ?  Nothing  can  be  more  incongruous 
than  the  slow,  patient,  and  persevering  labours  of  an  exploring 
party,  and  the  rapid  movements  required  for  the  protection  of 
commerce.  Such  vessels  as  are  built  for  this  expedition  would 
never  leave  our  ports  for  the  protection  of  commerce. 

But  if  the  "  Citizen"  shall  succeed  in  changing  the  character 
of  this  expedition  from  peaceful  to  warlike,  he  will  still  be  per- 
plexed with  difficulties.  Suppose,  in  clearing  the  decks  of  one  of 
the  vessels,  the  frigate,  for  instance,  for  action,  what  a  scene  of 
confusion — skeletons  and  bones  of  animals  of  all  kinds,  testa- 
ceous, crustaceous,  vertebrated,  and  invertebrated  ;  heaps  of  mol- 
luscous treasures ;  alligators  stuffed,  "  and  other  skins  of  ill- 
shaped  fishes,"  must  all,  all  be  tumbled  into  the  ocean  without 
reserve,  "  rm'i  natantes  in  gurgite  vasto.''^ 

The  "  Citizen"  had  much  better  permit  this  expedition  to  re- 
main, what  it  was  intended  to  be  from  the  beginning,  a  peaceful 
surveying  and  exploring  expedition. 

But  he  has  discovered  one  important  purpose  for  sending  out 
a  frigate  which  has  not  been  sufficiently  noticed.  It  is  nothing 
less  than  this,  that  a  salutary  effect  may  be  produced  upon  the 
fears  of  the  islanders  to  be  visited ;  and,  as  he  says,  "  the  natives 
aived  into  respect  by  a  judicious  display  of  our  power."  And 
then  he  relates  the  story  of  Lord  Byron  with  the  frigate  Blonde 
at  the  Sandwich  Islands  in  1824,  and  what  was  the  effect  pro- 
duced on  the  minds  of  the  savages  by  the  presence  of  that 
ship,  &c.,  &c. 


86  LETTERS    OF    A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAYY. 

Will  not  the  large  ship  Relief,  of  four  hundred  and  sixty  tons, 
the  two  brigs  Pioneer  and  Consort  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  tons 
each,  and  the  schooner  Pilot,  of  one  hundred  and  fourteen  tons, 
sufficiently  awe  the  natives  ?  Must  the  frigate  be  added  to  in- 
timidate the  savages  ?  The  sending  out  this  frigate  will  increase 
by  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  the  expense  of  the  expedition  ; 
but  this  the  "  Citizen"  will  think  money  well  expended,  consid- 
ering how  amazingly  the  natives  will  be  scared. 

The  "  Citizen"  may  be  assured  that  Congress  had  views  very 
different  from  his  in  authorizing  the  employment  of  a  frigate  on 
this  expedition ;  and  he  will  find  that  the  naval  officers  differ 
from  him  in  this,  as  in  most  other  points  in  which  he  undertakes 
to  regulate  the  affairs  of  the  navy.  It  is  the  glory  of  those  officers 
to  meet  an  enlightened  enemy  gun  to  gun  and  man  to  man  ;  but 
not  to  exhibit  themselves  in  big  ships  to  intimidate  savages  or  awe 
the  natives. 

Terror  is  the  favourite  means  of  the  "  Citizen"  for  carrying  his 
points.  His  threats  are  quite  awful ;  and  upon  the  officers  of  the 
navy  who  have  offended  him  he  is  about  to  try  the  efficacy  of  his 
valued  remedy. 

In  his  number  four  he  says,  "  The  title  of  citizen,  sir,  is  a  proud 
title"  (meaning,  no  doubt,  his  own  title).  "  This  is  a  country  of  cit- 
izens. Citizens  make  the  navy  ;  increase  or  diminish  it  at  their 
pleasure  ;  appoint  and  support  its  officers,  and  will  judge  them  (! !) ; 
for  every  year  he  is  on  active  duty  an  officer  may  be  two  on 
shore,  receiving  pay  in  the  latter  as  well  as  in  the  former  case." 
"  Let  them  indulge  in  illiberal,  contracted  feelings  of  petty  jeal- 
ousy against  the  appointment  of  citizens  to  their  appropriate  prov- 
inces, and  ihey  will  soon  find  themselves  in  the  hands  of  a  giant 
who  knows  his  power,  and  will  use  it." 

Now  this  giant  must  be  the  "  Citizen"  himself,  as  he  could  not 
be  certain  that  any  other  giant  knew  his  own  power,  or  that  he 
would  use  it.  And  as  it  is  believed  that  the  olficers  of  the  navy 
have  not  indulged  themselves  "  in  ilhberal,  roiilrncted  feelings  of 
petty  jealousy"  against  any  gentleman  of  science  selected  for  the 
expedition,  however  they  may  have  manifested  their  aversion  to 
a  pretender  who  seems  disposed  to  regulate  the  whole  enterprise, 
they  have  nolhinrr  to  fear  but  from  the  execution  of  his  terrible 
threats. 


LETTERS    OF   A    FRIEND    TO    THE    NAVY.  87 

Now  let  me  implore  the  "  Citizen"  not  to  make  any  serious  im- 
pression upon  the  fears  of  the  officers  of  tiie  navy.  Although 
brave,  there  are  some  things  of  which  they  stand  in  awe.  They 
are  wilhng  to  encounter  men,  but  not  giants.  They  do  not  fear 
cannon  balls,  but  may  dread  "  a  loithering  reviexo''''  from  tlie  "  Citi- 
zen" in  the  public  papers.  Therefore  let  me  entreat  you,  "  Mr. 
Citizen,"  not  to  intimidate  them.  Don't,  Mr.  Giant;  do  not,  in 
your  wrath  and  fury,  play  the  part  of  the  terrible  lion, 

•'  Who  roared  so  loud,  and  looked  so  horrid  grim. 
His  very  shadow  durst  not  follow  hina." 

Be  satisfied  with  letting  these  officers  know,  as  you  have  done, 
that  they  are  open  to  censure  when  "  they  claim  to  assume  the 
performance  of  duties  for  which  their  previous  training  and  dis- 
tinct line  of  action  have  left  them  totally  unqualified."  That "  our 
public  vessels  have  been  round  the  world,  and  our  officers  in 
them,  among  islands,  and  in  places  rarely  visited ;  hut  what  con- 
tributions to  science  have  resulted  /"  This  will  be  sufficiently 
humiliating  to  those  officers,  who  have  heretofore  believed  that 
among  their  number  were  many  whose  writings  have  added  much 
to  the  character  of  their  country  for  science  and  literature.  In- 
deed, it  would  appear,  from  reading  domestic  and  foreign  reviews, 
that,  in  these  respects,  they  have  gained  a  high  reputation,  both 
at  home  and  abroad.  But  under  this  withering  review  of  the 
"  Citizen"  let  them  be  humble.  If  the  "  Citizen"  will  only  put 
off  the  lion's  skin,  and  cease,  by  his  awkward  attempts  at  roaring, 
to  frighten  folks  who  do  not  know  him,  the  affairs  of  the  exploring 
expedition  will  go  on  much  more  smoothly. 

Every  measure  has  been  adopted  for  making  the  necessary  al- 
terations in  the  two  barks  and  the  schooner  for  the  expedition,  and 
they  will  be  as  soon  fit  for  service  as  any  vessels  like  them  ever 
can  be. 

There  is  still  much  reluctance  on  the  part  of  the  officers  to  join 
the  squadron  ;  but  it  is  believed  that  a  sufficient  number  will  be  in- 
duced to  enter  this  service  as  a  matter  of  duty,  and  that  they  need  not 
be  compelled  to  this  by  finding  themselves  in  the  hands  of  a  giant. 

Great  confidence  is  placed  in  the  gentlemen  of  the  scientific 
corps.  Their  competency  to  perform  the  duties  that  will  be  res- 
pectively assigned  to  them  with  honour  to  themselves  and  their 
country  is  undoubted ;   and  from  their  urbanity,  prudence,  and 


88  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

discretion,  it  is  believed  ihey  will  treat  the  officers  of  the  navy 
with  whom  they  may  be  associated  with  the  respect  due  to  their 
character  and  profession. 

Although  the  secretary  of  the  navy  believes  that  a  smaller  force 
for  the  exploring  expedition  would  be  more  efficient,  and  that  a 
frigate  is  a  larger  vessel  than  this  particular  service  requires,  yet, 
as  their  employment  is  authorized  by  Congress,  he  has  given  all 
the  orders  necessary  for  having  them  fitted  and  prepared  for  this 
service,  and  doubts  not,  w^e  are  aware,  that  from  the  enterprise 
much  benefit  will  result  to  the  commerce  and  navigation  of  our 
country,  and  great  advances  made  in  many  important  branches  of 
science.  It  has  been  shown,  however,  that  he  believes  that  all 
these  results  could  be  obtained  at  one  third  of  the  expense  of  this 
expedition,  and  with  a  tenth  part  of  the  noise.  He  has  some  old- 
fashioned  notions  of  economy  about  him,  which  many  believe  to 
be  out  of  time  and  out  of  place.  But  he  considers  a  million  of 
dollars  worth  saving.  It  would,  in  his  opinion,  build  a  drydock, 
and  he  would  not  give  one  drydock  for  a  mountain  of  molluscous 
treasures. 

A  FRIEND  TO  THE  NAVY. 

August  25,  1837. 


CITIZEN'S  LETTERS. 
VIII. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 
What  "A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  said  in  his  first  number  has 
been  examined.  That  illustrious  writer  very  complacently  com- 
mences his  second  by  assuming  that  the  facts  stated  in  his  former 
communication  had  entirely  exonerated  you  from  all  censure, 
both  as  to  the  tardiness  in  shipping  men  and  the  delay  which  had 
occurred  in  preparing  vessels  for  the  expedition.  If  you  can  feel 
any  self-gratulation  in  his  defence  on  these  })oints,  I  should  deem 
it  cruel  to  disturb  your  quiet  enjoyment  of  it ;  so  I  shall  pass  on  to 
notice  some  of  the  positions  assumed  by  you  or  for  you,  which  are 
among  the  most  extraordinary  it  has  ever  been  my  lot  to  observe 
emanating  from  a  dignifiod  source.     I  shall  take  them  up  in  order. 


LETTERS    OF   A    CITIZEN.  89 

In  the  first  place,  sir,  allow  me  to  ask  what  is  meant  by  the 
following : — 

"  There  has  probably  been  no  secretary  of  the  navy  who  would 
not  gladly  have  engaged  in  sending  out  an  exploring  expedition 
if  it  could  be  done  in  accordance  with  his  own  views,  and  without 
embarrassing  him  in  other  official  duties  of  more  immediate  im- 
portance and  of  higher  responsibility." 

Are  you  aware,  sir,  of  the  indefensible  character  of  the  senti- 
ments expressed  in  the  above  extract  ?  Is  it  less  than  declaring 
that  the  will  of  Congress  maybe  trifled  with,  as  in  the  case  of  this 
expedition  it  has  been,  unless  the  forms  of  the  law,  and  the  time 
and  manner  of  passing  it,  shall  coincide  with  your  peculiar  views 
of  public  duty  ?  Shall  the  nation  remain  stationary  as  regards 
knowledge  and  improvement,  nay,  sir,  go  back  half  a  century  in 
intelligence,  ere  its  schemes  of  public  utility  can  receive  your 
sanction  ? 

You  would  graciously  condescend  to  fit  out  an  expedition,  pro- 
vided, "  it  could  be  done  in  accordance  with  your  views  !"  Should 
not  Congress  take  a  hint  from  this  potential  rule,  quoted  as  the 
guide  of  your  official  action  ?  Would  it  not  be  a  saving  of  much 
time,  trouble,  and  money,  if  that  body  were  to  appoint  a  joint  com- 
mittee, whose  high  duty  it  should  be  to  ascertain  at  all  times  what 
laws,  and  what  modes  of  enacting  them,  meet  the  "  views"  of  the 
honourable  the  secretary  of  the  navy  ?  Or,  perhaps,  the  same 
end  might  be  more  easily  attained  by  a  saving  clause  in  all  bills 
connected  with  the  naval  service ;  as.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Sen- 
ate  and  House  of  Representatives  that  the  President  of  the  United 
States  be,  and  he  hereby  is,  authorized  to  do  so  and  so,  provided 
there  is  nothing  as  regards  the  origin  or  passage  of  this  bill  dis- 
approved by  the  honourable  secretary  of  the  navy,  or  that  may  in 
any  manner  embarrass  him  in  the  discharge  of  other  official  duties 
of  more  importance  and  of  higher  responsibility  !  !  ! !  And,  sir, 
by  what  standard  are  the  acts  of  "  more  importance  and  higher 
responsibility"  to  be  estimated  ?  Is  the  decision  to  be  left  solely 
to  the  discretion,  feelings,  prejudices,  or,  if  you  please,  the  judg- 
ment of  the  head  of  the  department  ?  Who  can  set  limits  to  the 
train  of  evils  consequent  on  the  establishment  of  such  a  prece- 
dent ?  What  assurance  would  the  nation  have  that  its  laws  would 
be  faithfully  executed  ?     None  whatever.     Fortunately,  how^ever, 

M 


90  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

the  quarter  from  which  such  anti-democratic  doctrines  come  is 
not  calculated  to  gain  them  any  unusual  favour  in  the  public  mind. 

Tiie  lachrymose  tone  so  characteristic  of  your  annual  report  is 
even  mora  conspicuous  in  the  second  number  of  "  A  Friend  to  the 
Navy."  Indeed,  I  doubt  if  your  most  charitable  supporter  would 
be  able  to  point  out  a  single  manly  expression  in  anything  you 
have  written  connected  with  the  enterprise  ;  equally  fruitless  would 
be  his  attempt  to  select  a  solitary  recommendation  in  which  the 
noble  and  enlarged  views  of  the  liberal  and  strong-minded  states- 
man can  be  even  faintly  recognised. 

From  first  to  last,  in  conversation  and  in  all  your  reports,  one 
meets  with  nothing  but  a  grumbling,  fault-finding  spirit,  in  which 
it  is  difficult  to  say  whether  perversity  of  temper  or  narrowness 
of  policy  is  most  obvious. 

I  should  be  pleased  to  see  one  incident  pointed  out,  whether 
connected  with  the  plan  of  the  voyage,  its  objects,  the  construction 
of  the  vesscb,  the  appointment  of  officers,  or  having  any  bearing, 
real  or  imaginary,  on  the  undertaking,  from  which  an  excuse  for 
delay  or  a  pretext  for  dissatisfaction  could  be  drawn,  of  which  you 
have  not  availed  yourself  to  the  utmost  for  these  purposes.  Thus 
it  was  again  and  again  asserted  that  the  protection  of  commerce 
in  1836  was  more  than  the  department  could  manage,  without  the 
"  new  duties"  of  fitting  out  the  expedition.  But,  that  I  may  not 
do  you  injustice  on  this  point,  I  will  let  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy" 
speak  for  himself. 

"  The  imjiosition  of  new  duties  in  fitting  out  an  exploring  ex- 
pedition could  not  fail  to  increase  the  difficulties  of  his  (the  sec- 
retary's) situation  tvithout  relieving  him  of  the  responsibilities ; 
which  effect  they  have  had,  to  the  most  serious  injury  of  the  ser- 
vice. It  is  not  strange  that  the  secretary  should  feel  opposed  to 
the  inqyosition  of  neio  duties  at  a  time  of  such  difficulties  ! !  /" 

Is  it  not  enough  to  provoke  a  smile  on  the  steeled  countenance 
of  a  stoic  to  hear  of  the  onerous  duties  of  the  secretary  of  the 
navy  ?  From  1797,  when  the  nation  had  a  navy  to  create,  through 
the  quasi  war  with  France,  during  the  war  with  the  Barhary 
States,  and  subsequently  with  the  first  naval  power  in  the  world, 
down  to  ihc  present  day,  nothing  like  your  piteous  groaning  had 
been  heard. 

No  such  melancholy  complainings  escaped  your  predecessors, 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  9t 

sir,  when  they  had  everything  to  originate  and  determine ;  to  fix 
on  models  for  vessels;  to  range  the  country  for  timber;  cordage 
to  manufacture  ;  copper  to  import ;  cannon  to  cast ;  but  now^ 
when  a  board  of  naval  commissioners  are  in  constant  session  to 
price  and  purchase  all  materials  ;  when  naval  architects  are  ap- 
pointed, and  "  all  appliances  and  means"  are  in  readiness,  we  hear 
of  the  "difficulties  of  your  situation,"  "the  imposition  of  new 
duties,"  and  other  wild  phantoms  of  the  imagination  born  only  in 
the  brain  ! 

There  is  one  way  to  throw  off  the  burden  of  these  "  new  du- 
ties" and  "  responsibilities,"  which  I  will  point  out,  and  which  the 
whole  community,  and  especially  the  naval  service,  would  feel 
much  pleasure  in  seeing  adopted  ;  resign,  sir,  a  station,  the  duties 
of  which,  from  your  own  showing,  you  find  it  so  difficult,  if  not 
impossible,  to  perform  !  But,  before  you  take  this  step,  do  let 
the  country  know  in  detail  how  the  naval  service  has  been  "seri- 
ously injured"  by  the  exploring  expedition.  In  other  countries 
such  undertakings  have  been  considered  most  honourable  to  the 
naval  profession. 

As  regards  the  French  expedition,  intended  to  sail  on  the  15th 
of  this  month,  and  which  your  dilatory  action  has  allowed  to  pre- 
cede the  American,  such  is  said  to  be  the  enthusiasm  elicited  that 
some  of  the  most  promising  youth  in  the  kingdom  have  volun- 
teered their  services  even  before  the  mast;  while  you  hold  up  a 
similar  enterprise  as  degrading  to  the  officers  of  our  navy  ! 

Perhaps  you  meant  the  following  incongruity  as  evidence  that 
the  expedition  has  been  of  the  most  "  serious  injury  to  the  service  :" 

"  No7'  is  it  strange  that  he  {the  secretary  of  the  navy)  should 
he  opposed  to  the  manner  in  which  tlie  provision  for  the  exploring 
expedition  was  introduced  into  the  general  appropriation  bill  for 
the  navy.^'' 

"  Early  in  the  session  this  hill  had  been  sent  from  the  House 
of  Representatives  to  the  Senate  ;  there  an  amendment  was  pro- 
posed authorizing  this  expedition ;  and  there  it  remained,  loaded 
with  this  rider,  until  nearly  the  time  of  passing  the  bill  on  the 
ISth  of  May,  1836,  more  than  five  months  after  the  commence- 
ment of  the  session,  and  ivhen  the  iiaval  service  was  greatly  em- 
harrassed  for  want  of  the  appropriations T 

This  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  heard  of  your  high  aispioasure 


92  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

against  the  committee  or  naval  affairs  in  the  Senate  for  their  au- 
dacity in  presuming  to  add  an  amendment  providing  for  the  ex- 
pedition to  the  bill  for  the  general  service,  without  having  first 
procured  your  gracious  permission,  and  ascertained  that  the  thing 
could  be  done  "  i?i  accordance  with  your  views  ;"  but  it  is  the 
first  time  I  have  seen  this  presumptuous  censure  in  print  ! 
Nearly  five  months,  we  are  informed,  did  this  bill  remain  in  the 
Senate ;  yes,  there  did  it  remain,  loaded  vi^ith  this  "  rider  y''  to 
''  the  most  serious  injury  of  the  service."  To  this  "  rider"^  is  at- 
tributed all  the  delay,  from  the  early  part  of  the  session,  when  you 
inform  us  the  bill  was  sent  to  the  Senate.  The  only  ''Wider''''  of 
leaden  weight  upon  the  expedition  has  been  yourself ^  and.  I  very 
much  fear  it  will  yet  he  the  death  of  you  !  But  did  you  hazard 
nothing  in  the  statement  that  the  "  rider''^  to  which  you  allude 
had  protracted  the  passage  of  the  bill  from  the  early  part  of  the 
session  till  nearly  the  middle  of  May  ? 

Now,  sir,  let  it  be  seen  how  a  few  plain  facts  from  the  record 
shall  put  you  down.  Bid  the  busy  functionary,  ever  near  your 
person,  bring  the  journals  of  the  Senate  and  house  and  lay  them 
on  your  table.  I  am  much  mistaken  if  you  do  not  find  that  the 
house  did  not  take  up  the  naval  bill,  in  committee  of  the  whole  on 
the  state  of  the  union,  until  March  30,  1836.  Search  the  rec- 
ord from  that  date,  and  you  will  find  that  the  bill  was  read  a  third 
time  and  passed  on  the  7ih  of  April,  four  months  and  seven  days 
after  the  session  had  commenced,  during  the  greater  portion  of 
which  interval,  according  to  your  showing,  the  bill  was  detained 
in  the  Senate  groaning  under  this  '' rider"  to  "  the  most  serious 
injury  of  the  naval  service." 

What,  then,  was  the  time  this  bill  did  remain  in  the  Senate? 
Look  at  the  journal,  and  see  if  it  did  not  pass  that  body  on  the 
28th  of  April.  Only  twenty  days  were  occupied  by  the  naval 
committee  in  passing  on  the  whole  bill,  with  all  its  details  and 
lieavy  appropriations ;  in  getting  the  documents  printed ;  and 
in  carrying  the  measure  through  the  Senate.  But,  sir,  even  this 
delay  of  twenty  days  was  not  chargeable  on  the  "  rider"  provi- 
ding for  this  enterprise.  I  tell  you,  sir,  and  I  appeal  to  the  commit- 
tee to  confirni  ihe  truth  of  what  1  say,  that  the  said  ^  rider"  did  not 
detain  the  general  bill  o?ie  hour.  The  committee  were  unani- 
mous, the  Senate  nearly  so.     When  tlve  question  was  put,  "  shall 


LETTERS    OF  A    CITIZEN.  93 

the  amendment  be  engrossed  and  the  bill  read  a  third  time  ?"  it 
was  determined  in  the  affirmative  without  debate.  Yeas  forty- 
one  ;  nay  one. 

But  this  is  not  all.  Memorials  from  Connecticut  had  brought 
the  South  Sea  expedition  before  the  committee  on  naval  affairs  in 
the  Senate  from  the  first  part  of  the  session.  That  committee 
examined  into  the  policy  of  the  measure,  and,  without  division, 
reported  a  bill  to  the  Senate  providing  for  the  expedition  on  the 
21st  March,  before  the  bill  for  the  general  service  had  passed  the 
lower  house  ;  so  that,  when  the  latter  did  reach  the  Senate,  the 
committee  simply  added  as  an  amendment  to  the  general  bill 
what  they  had  previously  determined  on.  Neither  in  the  com- 
mittee, therefore,  nor  in  the  Senate,  did  this  amendment  and 
"  rider''^  cause  the  least  detention. 

Thus  saith  the  record  ;  in  the  face  of  which,  for  the  evident 
purpose  of  casting  odium  on  the  committee,  and  of  justifying  your 
animosity  to  the  expedition,  was  the  statement  I  have  disproved 
brought  forward.  Having  no  doubt  that  the  committee  are  both 
competent  and  ready  to  answer  to  you  and  to  their  country  for 
their  proceedings  in  this  matter,  I  commit  you  on  this  point,  with- 
out further  comments,  into  their  hands,  to  dispose  of  you  and  your 
implications  as  the  public  good  shall  seem  to  require  ! 

"  Much  delay  has  taken  place,"  says  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy," 
"in  consequence  of  the  condition  of  these  vessels." 

The  amount  of  labour  requisite  for  all  the  proposed  altera- 
tions would  not,  I  should  suppose,  occupy  more  than  thirty  days 
in  any  well-regulated  private  shipyard. 

"  The  officers  who  have  entered  the  navy  with  the  hope  of  distin- 
guishing themselves  in  battle  for  their  country"  look,  we  arc  told, 
with  little  interest  to  a  service  so  pacific  as  a  surveying  and  explo- 
ring expedition.  The  love  of  honourable  war  is  an  infirmity  of  no- 
ble minds,  and  may,  by  the  gallant  and  brave,  be  forgiven ;  but 
this  assumption  by  a  ministerial  officer  of  so  decided  a  belligerent 
temper  may  prove  dangerous  to  the  state,  and  should  be  treated 
with  severity,  otherwise  what  a  warlike  nation  we  should  speed- 
ily become  under  your  management  of  the  navy  !  If,  however,  the 
desire  to  distinguish  themselves  in  battle  be  the  motive  of  our 
youth  in  entering  the  naval  service  of  their  country,  then  should 
it  be  the  policy  of  government  to  cherish  this  feeling,  and,  as  fre- 


94  LETTERS    OF    A   CITIZEN. 

quenlly  as  convenient,  allow  them  an  opportunity  of  putting  theii 
ardour  and  courage  to  liie  proof.     I  should  think  under  your  di 
rection  we  nnight  venture  to  fight  Mexico,  or,  perchance,  one  of 
the  Neapolitan  states  ! 

From  this  lofty  martial  tone  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  comes 
down  to  the  use  of  language  which  evidently  shows  the  contempt 
with  which  he  would  inspire  the  profession  for  all  the  duties  of 
the  service  save  "  battle."     Hear  him. 

^''Respect  is  due  to  the  pride  and  feelings  of  gallant  officers  oj 
whom  unvsual^  unexpected,  and  subordinate  duties  are  required. 
Great  additions  will  be  innde  to  science  highly  interesting  to  gen- 
tlemen engaged  in  making  discoveries,  and  highly  honourable  to 
the  country ;  but  someiohat  irksome  to  officers  performing  a  sub- 
ordinate part  in  these  operations,  and  who  aspire  to  service  more 
properly  belonging  to  their  j)r of essional  duties.^'' 

"  To  such  labours  and  discoveries  no  more  force  should  be 
employed,  than  what  is  absolutely  necessary .''''  Can  any  one  read 
the  above  extracts,  and  fail  to  perceive  the  obvious  design  of  the 
writer?  Would  you  not  be  ashamed  to  append  your  name  to  a 
document  containing  such  sentiments  ?  You  have  at  all  times 
urged  the  reluctance  of  officers  to  enter  this  service  ;  do  not  the 
foregoing  quotations  convict  the  writer  of  unworthy  efforts  to 
produce  that  very  feeling  ?  Have  you  not  frequently  predicted 
that  disagreement  and  bickerings  would  occur  between  the  offi- 
cers and  naturalists  ;  and  do  not  the  passages  transcribed  prove 
the  full  intentions  of  the  author  to  bring  about  the  very  evils  you 
have  prophesied  ?  Docs  the  functionary  who  is  capable  of  la- 
bouring with  such  intent  deserve  the  cognomen  of  "  A  Friend  to 
the  Navy .?" 

Is  it  an  irksome  and  subordinate  duly  to  protect  the  commercial 
interests  of  our  country  ;  to  explore  new  regions  ;  succour  cast- 
away seamen  ;  make  charts  of  harbours  ;  survey  dangerous  pas- 
sages and  important  groups  of  islands  ;  to  "  bind  down  the  strong 
arm  of  the  mulinecr;"  hold  conferences  with  the  natives;  in- 
crease our  trade  ;  and  render  more  secure  the  lives  of  our  marin- 
ers ?  All  these,  you  would  teach,  are  but  '^subordinate^''  duties, 
and  quite.  bcMicath  the  ambition  of  men  who  have  entered  "  the 
service  with  the  liope  of  distinguishing  themselves  in  battle  !  !  ! !" 

Why  have  you  not  been  more  explicit  in  pointing  out  wherein 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  93 

the  employment  of  naturalists  will  interfere  with  the  claims  to 
those  honours  and  distinctions  which,  by  the  common  consent 
of  all  enlightened  countries,  have  ever  been  accorded  to  naval  of- 
ficers engaged  in  enterprises  similarly  noble,  humane,  and  bene- 
ficial in  their  objects  ?  Would  their  labours  be  other  than  hon- 
ourable provided  no  naturalists  were  to  accompany  the  expedition  ? 
Will  you  indicate  how  they  can  be  less  so  because  accompanied 
by  scientific  men  without  nautical  knowledge  or  pretension  ? 

Were  the  military  chiefs  under  Napoleon  less  distinguished  be- 
cause savans  were  attached  to  the  expedition  to  Egypt  ?  Was 
not  the  glory  of  the  former  rather  embalmed  and  rendered  more 
imperishable  by  the  discoveries  of  the  latter;  and  that,  too,  with- 
out filching  a  single  leaf  from  the  laurel  which  inwreathed  the 
soldier's  brow  ?  So  will  it  be  with  all  concerned  in  this  under- 
taking, and  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  will  be  foiled  in  his  dark,  I 
might  say  malignant,  efforts  to  sow  the  seeds  of  discord  among 
high-principled  individuals,  who  feel  the  weight  of  responsibility 
they  have  assumed,  and  be  brought  to  feel  that  petty  jealousies, 
alike  unworthy  of  officers  and  civilians,  are  harboured  only  in  en- 
vious and  contracted  minds  ! ! ! 

We  are  next  informed  by  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  that  expe- 
ditions sent  out  by  other  countries  have  generally  been  small ;  and 
that  "  among  the  most  splendid  exploring  voyages  of  modern  times 
is  that  of  the  Astrolabe,  a  corvette  of  eighteen  guns  and  eighty 
men." 

Now,  sir,  allow  me  to  inquire,  how  can  you  answer  to  the  coun- 
try for  your  late  shocking  prodigality  in  the  force  you  have  em- 
ployed to  make  a  few  soundings  on  George's  Bank  ?  Have  you 
not  sent  on  that  ^rvice  a  vessel  of  eighteen  guns  and  eighty  men, 
besides  an  additional  chartered  force  ?  Surely  you  have  lost  sight 
of  the  exposed  condition  of  our  commerce  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
of  which  we  have  heard  so  much,  as  well  as  of  the  wants  of  the 
service  on  other  stations,  upon  the  requisite  force  for  which  the 
South  Sea  expedition  has  made  such  fearful  inroads  !  Did  the 
duties  to  be  performed  at  George's  Bank  call  for  a  larger  force 
than  that  of  the  "most  splendid  exploring  expedition  of  mod- 
ern times  ?"  and  yet  you  have  employed  a  largei  force  upon  it. 
After  this,  it  is  hoped  the  country  will  hear  no  more  about  the 
vast  scale  on  which  the  South  Sea  expedition  is  authorized  to  be 


96  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

fitted  out ;  it  bears  no  comparison  with  your  outfit  to  George's 
Bank,  the  magnitude  of  the  respective  objects  and  labours  of 
the  two  enterprises  being  taken  into  consideration.  Yes,  sir, 
and  while  on  this  point  there  is  one  more  little  question  which 
I  wish,  in  the  politest  manner  imaginable,  to  propose  to  you ; 
it  is  this  :  How  did  it  happen  that  you  gave  permission  to  the 
officer  having  charge  of  the  survey  on  the  banks  to  take  what  in- 
slruiiienis  he  chose  from  those  procured  expressly  for  the  South 
Sea  squadron,  and  purchased  with  the  funds  appropriated  for 
that  exclusive  purpose?  I  ivould  also  further  inquire  if  you  in- 
tend to  detain  the  expedition  till  the  return  of  the  Porpoise,  or  is 
it  to  proceed  to  sea  minus  the  abstracted  apparatus  1  The  best 
way  to  get  out  of  this  diflftculty  is  to  be  candid,  and  own  what 
I  have  no  doubt  are  the  facts  of  the  case,  viz.,  that  when  you 
gave  the  permission  referred  to  (for  without  it  I  cannot  suppose 
the  instruments  to  have  been  taken),  you  had  just  hit  on  the  plan 
of  your  famous  commission  ;  and  entertaining  no  doubt  of  being 
sustained  by  the  board,  either  wholly  or  in  part,  in  breaking  down 
the  expedition,  you  considered  that  this  sending  off  the  apparatus 
was  only  taking  lime  by  the  forelock,  and  adding  one  more  to  the 
list  of  difficulties  already,  according  to  your  statements,  so  over- 
whelming ! 

At  length  we  have  something  like  an  outline  of  the  character  aiKl 
force  you  would  sanction  in  an  expedition  to  the  South  Seas. 
True,  you  have  not  condescended  to  go  into  detail  or  explain  how 
its  varied  labours  could  be  accomplished  with  that  force,  and  it 
were  wise  in  you  to  abstain  from  any  attempt  to  do  so.  Hero  is 
your  plan. 

*'  Two  ships  would  he  quite  enough  for  the  purposes  of  survey 
and  exploration  on  this  South  Sea  expedition,  and  an  additional 
vessel  for  the  search  of  wrecked  mariners^ 

It  were  an  easy  matter  to  show  the  utter  insutficicncy  of  what 
you  here  recommend,  to  say  nothinjT  about  the  modesty  of  the  rec- 
ommendation after  the  adoption  of  the  present  force  by  the  coni- 
petcnl  authorities  in  the  first  y)lace,  and  its  recent  approval  by  your 
own  rominission  appointed  expressly  to  adjudge  the  matter.  But 
it  is  not  worth  while  to  waste  time  in  arguint^  the  point  with  one 
who  so  pertinaciously  refuses  to  understand — or,  understanding, 
continues  to  misrepresent — the  objects  for  which  the  measure  was 
authorized.     The  admission,  however,  that  one  vessel  ought  to  be 


LETTERS    OP   A  CITIZEN.  97 

sent  out  for  the  purpose  of  picking  up  lost  seamen,  is  at  once  sin- 
gular and  amusing,  .considering  the  source  from  which  it  comes. 
It  is  rather  a  squinting  towards  an  acknowledgment  that  the  en- 
terprise, after  all,  has  something  to  do  with  tlic  protection  of  com- 
merce ;  for  surely  there  are  no  mariners  to  be  picked  off  the  isU 
ands  as  near  as  it  ivould  he  ])ossihle  or  safe  to  approach  the 
South  Pole  !  Why  have  you  not  the  openness  to  admit  that  llie 
Macedonian  is  the  proper  vessel  for  this  humane  purpose?  The 
presence  of  such  a  vessel,  by  its  effect  upon  the  minds  of  the  isl- 
anders, would  tend  to  lessen  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  our 
sailors  whom  shipwreck  may  hereafter  throw  among  them.  In- 
deed, this  was  one  among  other  reasons  which  induced  the  late 
president  to  adopt  her  as  the  flag-ship  of  the  expedition  ;  and  so 
fully  was  he  convinced  of  the  importance  of  a  frigate,  that  he  is 
known  to  have  said,  during  the  last  session,  that  a  ship  of  that  class 
should  form  one  of  the  squadron,  whether  the  appropriation,  then 
pending,  was  made  or  not. 

"  A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  tries  his  hand  at  verbal  criticism,  and, 
like  the  wiseacre  in  the  fable,  who  took  a  single  brick  as  a  sample 
of  the  whole  edifice,  dashes  upon  a  few  detached  sentences  of  a 
certain  address  on  the  subject  of  the  expedition,  delivered  in  the 
Hall  of  Representatives  before  the  members  of  Congress  on  the 
3d  of  April,  1836.  What  that  address  has  to  do  with  the  derelic- 
tions of  duty  which  "  Citizen"  charges  upon  you,  has  not  yet  been 
pointed  out. 

Though  I  cannot  say  you  have  evinced  the  acuteness  of  Juvenal, 
the  grammatical  accuracy  of  Harris  or  Gifford,  or  the  polish  ol 
that  rancorous  critic,  Dennis,  still  I  must  own  that  you  appear 
to  have  caught  the  mantle  of  old  Father  Pepys,  who,  in  his  me- 
moirs, thus  discourseth  about  Hudibras  :  "  When  I  came  to  read 
it,  it  is  so  silly  an  abuse  of  the  old  Presbyter  Knight  going  to  the 
wars,  that  I  am  ashamed  of  it :  and  by-and-by  meeting  at  Mr. 
Townsend's  at  dinner,  I  sold  it  to  Mr.  Battersby  for  eighteen- 
pence."  Your  critical  acumen  seems  to  be  of  about  the  same 
calibre  as  that  of  the  censor  of  Hudibras ;  and  I  advise  you  to 
dispose  of  this  said  address  as  he  did  of  Butler's  poem— sell  it ! 
With  great  respect  I  have  the  honour  to  be 

Your  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN. 
N 


98  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

P.S.  No.  III.  of  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  is  acknowledged  a 
decided  improvement  in  style,  though  a  sad  falling  off  in  temper  I 

New- York,  August  23,  1837. 


TX. 

In  this  paper  we  publish  the  concluding  address  of  a  "  Citizen"  to  the  secretary  of 
the  navy.  We  wish  that  the  discussion  had  not  been  so  far  protracted  ;  we  wish  that 
we  could  have  avoided  giving  pain  to  any  member  of  the  administration  ;  but  circum- 
stances were  uncontrollable,  and  the  fortune  of  the  exploring  expedition,  one  of  the  no- 
blest and  most  important  measures  ever  adopted  by  the  American  government,  seemed 
bound  up  in  the  prosecution  of  the  discussion.  Plain  duty,  therefore,  marked  our  course, 
and  we  have  not  shrunk  from  it,  however  disagreeable  it  may  have  been.  The  letters 
of  a  "  Citizen"  have  been  distinguished  by  thorough  knowledge  of  the  subject,  unbound- 
ed zeal  in  the  great  cause,  a  single-minded  devotion  to  its  interest,  purity  of  style,  force 
of  argument,  and  logical  clearness  of  statement  and  induction.  Universal  public  opinion 
approves  warmly  of  his  undertaking,  and  ascribes  to  its  able  execution  the  welcome  im- 
provement in  the  prospects  of  the  expedition,  the  probability  of  its  now  efficient  equip- 
ment and  speedy  departure.  For  ourselves,  we  believe  well,  that,  but  for  the  labours  of 
our  correspondent,  the  expedition  would  not  now^  have  been  within  a  twelvemonth  of 
sailing,  if  it  ever  sailed  at  all,  unless  crippled  of  all  efficiency  and  capacity  for  usefulness. 
The  "  Citizen"  has  served  his  country  and  the  cause  of  science  and  humanity  nobly  ; 
and  he  has  served,  perhaps  saved,  the  head  of  the  navy  department.  We  take  leave  of 
him  with  our  best  wishes  for  his  prosperity  and  happiness,  wherever  his  sphere  of  life 
may  be  cast. — Editor  of  the  New-  York  Times. 

To  the  Honouiable  Mahlon  Dickersou,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 

Sir, 
I  can  only  account  for  the  confession  made  in  the  first  para- 
graph of  your  third  number  by  regarding  it  as  another  confirma- 
tion of  the  trite  saying  of  the  Latins,  that  "  those  whom  the  gods 
intend  to  destroy  they  first  make  mad."  Excuse  me  for  not  giv- 
ing the  Roman  text :  I  set  out  vvilh  the  intention  of  speaking  in 
plain  English,  and  shall  not  now  change  my  original  purpose, 
though  the  translation  may  grate  somewhat  harshly  on  your  clas- 
sical ear.  But  to  the  confession.  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy"  tells 
us  that,  had  the  expedition  been  fitted  out  with  a  sloop-of-war  and 
such  other  smaller  vessels  as  the  law  of  the  first  session  of  the 
last  Congress  authorized,  together  with  such  books  and  instru- 
ments as  the  country  afforded,  the  whole  fleet,  on  that  scale,  might 
have  put  to  sea  on  or  before  the  meeting  of  Congress  in  Decem- 
ber last ;   but  when  it  was  determined  a  frigate  should  be  em- 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  99 

ployed,  "  it  was  evident,"  we  are  told,  "  that  another  session  must 
elapse,  and  further  appropriations  be  made,  before  the  fleet  could 
be  sent  to  sea."  Is  this  true  ?  Will  the  country  believe  it?  If 
so,  into  what  a  condition  have  you  brought  our  navy,  when  the 
head  of  this  great  branch  of  national  defence  can  make  so  humil- 
iating a  declaration  to  the  world  !  I  have  already  shown  that  the 
only  departure  even  from  the  strict  letter  of  the  law  was  the  sub- 
stitution of  the  frigate  of  thirty-six  guns  for  a  sloop  of  twenty-four. 
What  a  nutshell  to  hold  so  many  difficulties.  The  difference  be- 
tween a  sloop-of-war  and  a  frigate  !  And  let  it  be  borne  in  mind 
that  a  report  had  been  made  which  stated  that  in  ninety  days  the 
Macedonian  could  be  ready  for  sea.  This  report  was  made  by 
the  commissioners  to  the  president  prior  to  the  selection  of  the 
last-mentioned  vessel.  The  difference  between  this  ship  and  a 
sloop-of-war  is  twelve  guns,  and  yet  the  disparity,  in  fact  so  tri- 
fling, is  paraded  before  the  public  as  a  valid  excuse  for  the  shame- 
ful and  unnecessary  detention  of  the  expedition.  By  "  extraordi- 
nary efforts,"  however,  you  have  been  able  to  overcome  this  dif- 
ficulty in  fitting  out  an  expedition  at  the  rate  of  about  o?ie  gun  per 
month !  I ! ! 

It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that  the  confession  to  which  I  have 
referred  should  have  escaped  "  A  Friend  to  the  Navy,"  inasmuch 
as  you  must  remember  having  declared,  from  the  beginning,  that 
the  expedition  could  not  sail  during  the  past  season.  Yes,  sir,  I 
remember  to  have  met  you  in  the  lobby  of  the  theatre  at  Wash- 
ington on  the  very  evening  of  the  day  on  which  the  bill  passed 
the  house,  and  that  you  then  remarked,  previously  to  a  word  being 
said  as  to  the  size  of  the  vessels  to  be  employed,  that  the  squad- 
ron could  not  be  despatched  that  season.  I  repeat,  sir,  to  me, 
the  "  Furious  Citizen,"  did  you  make  that  declaration.  Do  you 
forget  it  ?  Have  you  forgot,  also,  how  reluctantly  you  took  the 
measure  up  when  required  by  the  president  to  do  so  ?  Sir,  you 
intended,  from  the  first,  to  bring  the  matter  a  second  time  before 
Congress.  Will  you  give  the  negative  to  this  assertion  ?  And 
was  it  not  because  you  felt  deeply  chagrined  at  being  unable  to 
defeat  the  enterprise  as  authorized  by  Congress  ? 

As  a  plea  in  mitigation  of  judgment,  for  I  cannot  consider  it  of- 
fered as  a  defence,  we  are  told  what  extraordinary  efforts  you  had 
used  during  the  month  of  June,  1836  (I  mention  the  yea/',  lest, 


100  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

from  tlic  mulliplicity  and  variety  of  your  endeavours  to  frustrate 
the  enterprise,  some  confusion  should  ensue  in  point  of  time) ; 
which  efforts,  it  appears,  consisted  in  having  written  to  Commo- 
dore Jones  "  without  delay,"  conferred  about  the  vessels,  given 
orders  for  their  construction,  and  directed  that  sailors  should  be 
recruited  to  man  them.  Even  the  days  are  named  on  which  the 
orders  were  issued,  viz.,  the  6th,  7th,  11th,  and  the  20th  of  June; 
and  the  whole  statement  is  evidently  relied  on  to  explain  away 
your  subsequent  tardiness  of  action,  as  also  to  enable  you  to  ex- 
claim, with  an  assumed  air  of  candid  surprise,  that  "  in  all  this  a 
'  Citizen'  can  see  nothing  but  insufferable  delay,  for  which  he 
holds  the  secretary  responsible."  After  some  other  samples  of 
twaddling  criticism  about  the  South  Pole,  confirming  the  obser- 
vation that 

'•■Great  wits,  like  great  states, 
Do  sometimes  sink  by  their  own  weights," 

you  very  complacently  lay  the  flattering,  but,  alas  !  delusive  unc- 
tion to  your  heart,  that  none  "  except  the  '  Citizen,*  and  a  feiv 
who  have  been  bitten  by  him,  can  see  any  cause  for  throwing 
censure  upon  tJie  secretary.''^ 

Sir,  the  public  mind  has  been  slow  and  reluctant  to  fix  its  con- 
demnation upon  you,  but  it  has  been  constrained  to  do  so,  and 
the  future  Plutarch  of  our  republic  may  indiixnantly  inquire, 
"  Who  was  this  honourable  secretary,  that  he  should  have  so  un- 
graciously endeavoured  to  thwart  the  wishes  of  his  country  by 
creating  obstacles  to  the  fulfilment  of  a  noble  and  useful  national 
design  ?"  Think  you  the  brief  biographical  notice  of  you  con- 
tained in  the  "  National  Portrait  Gallery,"  partial  as  it  is  known 
lo  be,  will  afford  a  satisfactory  reply  ? 

What  I  stated  in  relation  to  the  shipment  of  men,  the  comple- 
tion of  the  frigate  and  store-ship,  and  the  organization  of  the  sci- 
entific corps,  you  have  not  denied  :  the  facts  cannot  be  refuted. 
Not  the  slightest  extra  encouragement  was  allowed  by  you  for 
the  purpose  of  inducing  seamen  to  join  the  expedition.  The  Ma- 
cedojuan  was  not  finished,  nor  was  she  in  a  condition  to  receive 
her  crew,  in  December,  18:jfi,  as  stated  in  your  annual  report; 
nor  did  she  receive  her  crew  on  board  initil  June,  1837.  On 
these  points  you  offer  a  volume  of  explanations,  about  as  falla- 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  101 

cious  and  irrelevant  to  the  matter  at  issue  as  was  the  excuse  of 
the  individual  who  wrote  a  letter  and  requested  his  correspond- 
ent to  pardon  errors  in  orthography,  as  his  knife  was  so  dull  that 
he  could  not  mend  his  pen.  Your  explanations  are  non  sequitors 
of  nearly  the  same  calibre,  and  will  probably  carry  as  clear  con- 
viction to  the  mind  of  the  reader.  1  have  no  desire,  sir,  to  mis- 
represent you ;  the  truth  is  bad  enough  without  any  exaggeration. 
The  charges  I  have  preferred  against  you  on  account  of  your  of- 
ficial delinquencies  have  gone  to  the  public  through  the  same 
channel  as  your  defence,  and  the  public  will  judge  between  us. 

The  words  "  extraordinary  efforts"  are  not,  as  stated  by  you, 
a  fabrication  ;  they  occur  in  your  report,  and  are  fairly  applicable 
in  the  sense  in  which  I  used  them.  It  is  a  shallow  evasion  to 
say  "  the  duties  were  to  be  performed  by  others,  not  by  the  sec- 
retary. He  does  not  superintend  the  recruiting  of  seamen." 
True,  sir,  you  do  not  personally  bargain  with  the  sailor;  but  it 
was  your  duty  to  afford  to  others  the  means  by  which  unusual  ex- 
ertions could  be  made  ;  and  these  you  pertinaciously  refused.  If, 
as  you  state,  "  it  was  unusual  to  put  the  recruiting  service  under 
the  superintendence  of  the  commander  of  the  squadron ;"  if  it 
were  unusual  to  recruit  seamen  for  a  particular  service,  both  of 
which  you  own  you  were  directed  by  the  president  to  see  done, 
the  inquiry  presents  itself,  why  were  not  these  measures  more 
successful  ?  I  have  already  stated  the  reason.  You  refused  the 
necessary  means  for  carrying  out  this  plan  of  shipping  for  a 
special  service  by  prohibiting  the  offer  of  all  inducement  beyond 
what  the  ordinary  rendezvous  afforded.  Nay,  more  :  when  on  a 
visit  to  this  city  in  August,  thirteen  months  ago,  on  seeing  the 
bills  up  for  the  special  shipment  of  men,  did  you  or  did  you  not 
say  that  you  would  fix  that  business  by  allowing  the  same  privi- 
lege in  shipping  mariners  for  the  Pacific  and  Brazilian  stations; 
and  were  not  similar  placards  accordingly  posted  on  the  walls,  thus 
rendering  the  facilities  in  favour  of  the  expedition  a  mere  mock- 
ery ?  Your  assigned  reason  for  not  placing  funds  in  the  hands 
of  recruiting  agents,  except  at  the  regular  depots,  is  pefectly  fu- 
tile, as  security  for  the  advances  and  delivery  of  the  men  could 
have  been  taken  at  New-London,  New-Bedford,  and  other  inter- 
mediate points. 

The  "  threats"  in  mv  second  letter  to  give  a  withering  review 


102  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

of  the  conduct  of  those  who  had  attempted,  by  misrepresentation 
of  its  purposes,  to  defeat  the  expedition,  you  seem  to  think  have 
not  been  redeemed.  You  appear,  also,  to  have  some  difficuUy  in 
recognising  the  parties  to  whom  1  had  reference.  I  have  no  wish 
to  be  obscure,  or  to  leave  any  doubt  on  your  mind  upon  this  point ; 
I  will  therefore  say  at  once,  "  Ulou  art  the  marC^  to  whom  I  al- 
luded as  being  at  the  head  of  those  who  misrepresented  the  true 
objects  of  the  measure  with  the  sole  view  of  compassing  its  utter 
defeat. 

If  my  review  of  your  official  conduct  has  not  been  sufficiently 
"  withering,"  I  am  quite  willing  to  amend  my  error ;  the  subject 
is  far  from  being  "  exhausted." 

There  is  but  one  more  point  in  your  third  number  which  I  es- 
teem worthy  of  notice.  I  allude  to  your  sneering  remarks  on  the 
mass  of  information  treasured  up  by  our  whalemen  during  their 
voyages  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  South  Seas,  which  information 
formed  the  subject  of  a  report  to  the  department  in  1828;  to  be 
found  among  the  documents  setting  forth  the  objects  of  the  under- 
taking. 

Who  ever  vouched  for  entire  accuracy  of  detail  in  the  docu- 
ment you  have  pretended  to  criticise  ?  No  one,  sir,  has  made 
such  an  averment,  and  of  this  fact  you  are  perfectly  cognizant. 
The  individual  you  mention  as  having  rendered  himself  ridiculous 
through  the  report  in  question  held  the  following  language  in  his 
address  before  Congress,  when  speaking  of  the  information  that 
report  imbodied. 

"  That  the  positions  of  the  islands,  as  laid  down  by  our  whale- 
men, are  determined  with  accuracy,  we  pretend  not  to  a&sert; 
neither  do  these  adventurous  navigators  themselves  lay  claim  to 
any  such  exactness.  The  very  nature  of  these  pursuits  almost 
precludes  the  possibility  of  such  a  result ;  their  primary  object 
being  to  take  whale,  and  not  to  make  discoveries.  When,  how- 
ever, we  reflect  on  the  disadvantages  under  which  they  labour ; 
unprovided  with  instruments  of  improved  construction  ;  often  com- 
puting their  progress  by  the  run  of  the  log  alone,  without  allow- 
ance for  the  influence  of  currents,  the  force  and  direction  of  which 
they  do  not  stop  to  investigate,  it  must  be  conceded  that  the  in- 
formation they  have  imparted  is  more  correct  and  explicit  than 
we  could  reasonably  anticipate.     But  if  these  men  have  not  the 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  103 

means  and  opportunity  of  noting  with  precision  the  geographical 
position  of  their  discoveries,  it  is  still  less  within  their  power  to 
ascertain  the  capacity,  resources,  and  productions  of  the  new  lands. 
Whale-ships  lost  in  the  process  of  examining  a  group  of  islands 
or  a  reef  forfeit  their  ensurance.     Even  were  this  otherwise,  time 
cannot  be  spared  for  such  a  survey ;  and  thus  a  brief  note  in  a 
vessel's  logbook  is  frequently  the  only  recorded  notice  of  a  dan- 
gerous reef  or  a  new  archipelago.     It  is  impossible,  however,  to 
examine  the  reports^  of  our  South  Sea  whaling  captains  without 
feeling  the  value  of  that  mighty  mass  of  rude  materials  with  which 
they  have  furnished  us.     To  have  those  materials  carefully  ana- 
lyzed, and  a  work  upon  which  confident  reliance  can  be  placed 
prepared  for  future  use,  is  the  bounden  duty  of  government.     The 
prosecution  of  these  objects  will  constitute  an  important  part  of 
the  labours  of  the  expedition  ;  labours  which  ought  not,  in  justice, 
to  have  been  delayed  till  now.     Perhaps  the  silent  and  unobtrusive 
manner  in  which  our  great  ocean  concerns  are  carried  on  may,  in 
some  measure,  account  for,  if  it  cannot  justify,  the  negligence  of 
our  government  in  not  watching  with  a  more  vigilant  eye  the  in- 
terests of  our  civil  marine,  and  protecting  it  more  effectually  by 
the  strong  arm  of  naval  power.     I  put  the  question  to  every  lib- 
eral-minded, intelligent  individual  within  these  walls,  is  it  honour- 
able, is  it  politic  or  wise — waiving  the  considerations  of  humanity 
and  duty — to  look  supinely  on,  while  our  citizens  are  exposed  to 
shipwreck  in  seas  or  coasts,  and  among  islands,  of  which  they 
possess  no  charts  capable  of  guiding  them  aright,  and  to  suffer 
them  to  be  massacred  by  savages  for  lack  of  such  a  judicious  ex- 
hibition  of   maritime    strength    as  would   command    respect   by 
showing  the  ability  to  enforce  it  ?     And  yet  such  is  the  situation 
of  our  commerce  in  many  parts  of  the  world." 

And  pray,  sir,  what  is  the  language  of  Admiral  Kruzenstein, 
which  you  have  hunted  up,  in  relation  to  this  same  report  ?  Pre- 
cisely in  substance  what  its  author  himself  held,  as  will  appear 
from  the  translation  quoted  below. 

"  At  the  time  when  the  American  government  contemplated  fit- 
ting out  an  expedition  to  explore  the  Pacific  Ocean,  Mr.  Reynolds 
presented  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  ^Ir.  Southard,  a  memorial, 
of  which  a  copy  has  been  communicated  to  me,  in  which  he  pre- 
sents the  results  of  the  researches  made  by  him  in  the  different 


104  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

ports  of  the  United  States  into  the  subject  of  the  discoveries  of 
American  whalers. 

''  The  information  received  by  liim  from  the  whalers,  and  which 
he  communicates  in  his  memorial,  is  not,  however,  of  a  nature  to 
inspire  great  confidence.  Islands  may  there  be  seen  under  the 
same  name,  and  diilcring  several  degrees  in  longitude  ;  there  are 
several  others  designated  under  the  same  latitude  and  longitude, 
which  certainly  must  be  one  and  the  same  island." 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  authority  of  Admiral  Kruzenstein, 
so  far  as  it  is  of  any  importance,  is  decidedly  against  you,  and  fully 
sustains  all  which  has  been  claimed  for  the  document,  based  on 
the  materials  furnished  by  our  whalers,  viz.,  that  it  goes  to  show 
that  the  knowledge  we  possess  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  South 
Seas  is  so  imperfect  as  to  demonstrate  the  utility  of  sending  out 
an  expedition  to  ascertain  and  settle  what  is  at  present  vague  and 
uncertain,  and  thus  give  additional  security  to  our  commercial  in- 
terests in  those  c[uarlers.  With  these  remarks  I  shall  leave  you 
to  reflect  on  the  illiberality  and  injustice  of  the  attack  3^ou  liave 
made  on  the  enterprise  of  our  whalers,  for  your  remarks  will  bear 
no  other  construction. 

And  now  for  the  fourth  and  last  article  you  have  given  to  the 
public.  I  shall  content  myself  with  a  few  brief  remarks  upon  this 
"  delectable'  production.  It  bears  indubitable  evidence  that  you 
have  become  alarmed  at  the  untenable  nature  of  your  position,  es- 
pecially in  maintaining  that  the  great  object  of  the  expedition  was 
to  explore  regions  as  near  the  South  Pole  as  can  he  approached 
loithout  danger. 

In  that  number  you  have,  for  the  first  time,  been  compelled  to 
confess  "  that  from  the  enterprise  much  benefit  will  result  to  the 
commerce  and  navigation  of  our  country,  and  great  additions  be 
made  in  many  important  branches  of  science."  For  the  sake  of 
this  confession  I  am  willing  to  pass  over  without  comment  many 
am\ising  quibbles  and  tergiversations  incident  to  your  defence, 
seven  eighths  of  which  are  utterly  irrelevant  to  the  subject-matter 
at  issue  between  us. 

You  arc  now,  as  I  am  ])leased  to  learn,  doing  your  duty  with  a 
much  better  grace  than  could  have  hovw  oxpiM  ted,  considering 
your  late  disappointments.  'I'o  bring  you  to  this  point  was  my 
Bole  motive  in  addressing  you.      I-'or  the  mere  sake  of  controversy 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  105 

I  should  not  have  written,  as  I  feel  no  pride  in  a  triumph  over 
you.  It  is  sufficient  for  nny  purpose  that  you  have  at  length  been 
driven  to  abandon  the  position  assumed  in  your  famous  report  of 
April  16,  and  subsequently  maintained  in  your  instructions  to  the 
naval  board,  with  both  of  which  the  annexed  extract  from  your 
last  letter  appears  in  amusing  contrast. 

"  Five  sixths  of  the  time  of  the  cruise  the  squadron  will  be 
in  lower  latitudes  and  milder  climates,  making  surveys  und  explo- 
rations ;  discovering  islands,  rocks,  reefs,  and  shoals  ;  ascertaining 
latitudes  and  longitudes  ;  affording  aid  and  protection  to  our  mer- 
chants and  whalers  ;  rescuing  wrecked  mariners  ;  and  performing 
a  variety  of  other  duties,"  &c.,  &c. 

This  is  rational ;  this  is  what  \\\e  friends  of  the  expedition  have 
uniformly  declared ;  but  just  what  you  have  never,  until  now, 
admitted.  Go  on,  then,  as  you  are  now  doing,  to  the  end.  De- 
spatch the  expedition  with  a  just  and  enlightened  liberality  ;  aban- 
don all  efforts  to  defeat,  retard,  or  cripple  its  efficiency  ;  claim 
credit  for  good  intentions  ;  protest  that  you  never  wished  to  de- 
stroy it,  and  you  may  yet  receive,  if  not  entire  forgiveness  for  the 
past,  at  least  a  glorious  oblivion  for  the  future  ! 

A  "  Citizen"  fully  agrees  with  you  in  the  importance  you  at- 
tach to  the  examination  of  high  latitudes  south.  He  has  never 
maintained  other  opinions  ;  but  he  regards  it  as  one  object,  not 
the  great  objects  of  the  enterprise.  Nor  has  he  ever  used  any 
language  in  reference  to  the  attainment  of  ninety  degrees  south 
which  he  is  not  willing  again  to  repeat.  In  the  very  document, 
and  in  the  very  pages  you  have  turned  over,  he  has  said — "  That 
the  ninetieth  degree,  or  South  Pole,  may  be  reached  by  the  navi- 
gator, is  our  deliberate  opinion  (unless  intercepted  by  land),  which 
all  that  we  have  seen  and  known  has  tended  to  confirm.  That 
an  expedition  should  be  despatched  from  this  country  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  ascertaining  the  practicability  of  attaining  it  is  not,  per- 
haps, to  be  expected  ;  but  that  the  effort  should  be  allowed  to  be 
made  in  connection  with  the  other  great  objects  of  the  enterprise, 
is  perfectly  in  accordance  with  the  most  prudential  policy.  We 
shall  not  discuss,  at  present,  the  probability  of  this  result,  though 
its  possibility  might  be  easily  demonstrated.  ^  If  this  should  be 
realized,  where  is  the  individual  who  does  not  feel  that  such  an 
achievement  would  add  new  lustre   to  the  annals   of  American 

O 


106  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

philosophy,  and  crown  with  a  new  and  imperishable  wreath  the 
nautical  glories  of  our  country." 

Allow  me  to  ask,  sir,  what  you  find  exceptionable  in  this  lan- 
guage. I  do  not  know  that  you  would  rejoice  at  such  an  achieve- 
ment, but  I  do  beheve  there  is  not  another  individual,  of  the  four- 
teen millions  that  inhabit  our  republic,  who  would  not  exult  in  the 
honour  it  would  confer  on  the  American  name. 

If  1  have  rendered  myself  "  ridiculous"  by  what  I  have  said  on 
this  point,  you  will  at  least  find  that  I  stand  in  pretty  good  com- 
pany. Permit  me  to  commend  to  your  especial  notice  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  French  expedition,  which  your  "  extraordi- 
nary efforts'^  have  suffered  to  precede  our  own. 

"M.  le  commandant  Dumoni  d'Urville  received  on  Friday  au- 
dience of  his  majesty  the  king.  In  the  interview,  which  extended 
beyond  half  an  hour,  his  majesty  reiterated  his  wishes  that  the 
exploring  expedition  of  the  Astrolabe  and  Zelie  might  realize  the 
anticipations  entertained  by  the  former  ministers  of  the  marine, 
and  that  to  France  and  to  his  reign  may  redound  the  glory  of 
having  approached  the  nearest  to  the  antarctic  pole.  A  reward  is 
promised  to  the  sailors,  should  they  extend  their  voyage  so  far  as 
the  seventy-fifth  degree,  and  this  reward  will  be  augmented  in 
proportion  to  each  degree  obtained  beyond  this  designation.  '  In 
case  they  should  approach  to  the  pole,'  said  his  majesty,  with  en- 
thusiasm, '  then  everything  will  be  granted  to  the  sailors  that  they 
may  demand.' " 

Now,  sir,  does  this  account  of  the  "  enthusiasm"  of  his  majesty 
arouse  no  spirit  of  rivalry  in  your  breast  ?  Does  it  not  suggest 
an  occasion  for  the  American  minister  of  marine  to  do  one  act  in 
his  official  career  that  shall  save  the  pages  of  his  biography  from 
being  consigned  to  the  trunkmakers'  and  pastrycooks'  shops  ? 
What  is  there  that  you  can  do  to  accomplish  such  a  miracle  ?  I 
will  tell  you.  Just  draw  up  a  spirited  little  report,  asking  of  Con- 
gress the  authorization  of  a  reward  to  be  given  to  the  officers  and 
men  of  the  expedition  for  attaining  the  seventy-fifth  degree  south, 
with  an  appropriate  increase  for  each  additional  degree  even  to 
that  point  ivhere  all  the  meridians  terminate;  where  our  eagle  and 
star-spangled  banner  may  be  unfurled  and  planted^  and  left  to 
wave  at  the  very  pole  itself ! 

Do  but  this,  and 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  107 

"Then  time  shall  render  to  you 
The  justice  that  is  due  you, 
Till  the  very  state  that  grew  you 

Stares  in  wonder." 

Sir,  throughout  all  the  numbers  consliluting  your  defence  in  this 
controversy  you  have  been  determined,  from  some  motive  inexpli- 
cable to  me,  that  the  parlies  engaged  in  it  should  not  reniain  un- 
known to  the  public.  Of  this  I  do  not  complain,  but  have  en- 
deavoured to  gratify  your  wish  by  gently  intimating  to  the  com- 
munity the  high  source  to  which  it  was  indebted  for  those  mas- 
terly and  statesman-like  papers  bearing  the  signature  of  "  A  Friend 
to  the  Navy."  It  would  be  uncandid  in  me,  therefore,  under 
present  circumstances,  to  affect  that  you  were  incorrect  in  as- 
cribing to  the  individual  you  have  designated  the  auihorship  of 
the  articles  over  the  signature  of  "  Citizen."  This  avowal  made, 
I  shall  reply  to  your  remarks  personal  with  the  directness  they 
seem  to  require  ;  having  hitherto  abstained  from  answering  them 
with  the  intention  of  disposing  of  them  en  masse.  The  following 
is  from  your  No.  I. 

"  This  anxxry  '  Citizen'  is  no  doubt  Mr. ,  who  has  succeed- 
ed in  producing  an  impression  through  the  country  that  this  is 
his  expedition ;  an  impression  much  strengthened  by  the  publica- 
tion in  October  last  of  his  address  delivered  on  the  third  of  April 
of  last  year  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives,"  &c.,  &;c. 

Here  is  a  grave  charge  made  by  a  personage  high  in  place, 
and  the  document  containing  its  alleged  proof  is  named.  Now, 
sir,  on  page  ninety-eight  of  this  said  address,  which  lay  open  be- 
fore you  when  you  made  an  extract  from  the  opposite  page, 
ninety-nine,  is  contained  a  declaration  of  my  motives  of  action  ; 
and  I  defy  you,  or  any  parasite  under  your  control,  to  point  out 
a  single  act  of  mine  which  has  not  been  in  conformity  with  the 
spirit  and  letter  of  the  sentiments  therein  expressed  ;  they  read  as 
follows  : 

"We  have  no  narrow  and  exclusive  feelings  to  be  gratified. 
We  wish  to  see  the  expedition  sail  solely  because  of  the  good  it 
may  do  and  the  honour  it  may  confer  on  the  country  at  large. 

"  For  the  same  reason  we  wish  to  see  it  organized  on  liberal 
and  enlightened  principles,  which  object  can  be  effected  only  by 
calling  in  requisition  the  known  skill  of  the  service,  which  will 


108  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

be  found  equal  to  the  discharge  of  every  duty  in  any  way  con- 
necied  with  the  naval  profession. 

"  But  this  should  not  be  all.  To  complete  its  efficiency,  indi- 
viduals from  other  walks  of  life,  we  repeat,  should  be  appointed 
to  participate  in  its  labours.  No  professional  pique,  no  petty  jeal- 
ousies, should  be  allowed  to  defeat  this  object.  The  enterprise 
should  be  national  in  its  object,  and  sustained  by  the  national 
means ;  belongs  of  right  to  no  individual,  or  set  of  individuals, 
but  to  the  country,  and  the  whole  country  ;  and  he  vvho  does  not 
view  it  in  this  light,  or  could  not  enter  it  with  this  spirit,  would 
not  be  very  likely  to  meet  the  public  expectations  were  he  in- 
trusted with  the  entire  control. 

"  To  indulge  in  jealousies,  or  feel  undue  solicitude  about  the 
division  of  honours  before  they  are  won,  is  the  appropriate  em- 
ployment of  carpet  heroes,  in  whatever  walk  of  life  they  may  be 
found.  The  qualifications  of  such  would  fit  them  better  to  thread 
the  mazes  of  the  dance,  or  to  shine  in  the  saloon,  than  to  venture 
upon  an  enterprise  requiring  men,  in  the  most  emphatic  sense  of 
the  term." 

Having,  as  I  trust,  satisfactorily  disposed  of  this  point,  I  pro- 
ceed to  notice  your  remark,  that  "  the  extravagances  of  Mr. 

have  created  many  difficulties  in  fitting  out  this  expedition  ;  yet 
all  can  be  obviated  if  he  will  be  content  with  the  distinguished 
and  lucrative  situation  assigned  him  in  the  same." 

Sir,  is  it  your  wish  to  enter  into  a  full  discussion  in  reference 
to  the  position  you  have  assigned  me,  as  compared  with  the  ori- 
ginal appointment  given  me  by  President  Jackson  ?  Are  you 
willing  that  I  should  publish  our  correspondence  on  this  point  ? 
Are  you  ambitious  that  the  public  should  know  how  magnani- 
mously you  have  acted  in  the  premises  ?  I  apprehend  not ;  but, 
if  you  are,  at  a  proper  time  you  shall  be  gratified.  I  never  did, 
I  will  not  at  present,  obtrude  any  matter  personal  to  myself  upon 
the  public.  That  the  expedition  should  be  efficiently  organized, 
and  placed  in  proper  hands,  I  have  ever  deemed  a  point  of  in- 
finitely more  importance  than  the  station  I  should  hold  in  it,  or 
that  I  should  accompany  it  at  all.  To  effect  that  object,  and  to 
prevent  you  from  destroying  the  enterprise,  have  my  humble  but 
best  eflforts  been  at  all  times  directed  ;  and  this,  I  apprehend,  has 
been  "  the  head  and  front  of  my  offending." 


LETTERS    OF    A   CITIZEN.  109 

Nor  will  I  allow  you  lo  justify  any  portion  of  your  hostility  to 
the  expedition  on  the  unsustaijied  assumption  that  1  have  created 
difficulties  or  thrown  obstacles  in  the  way  of  its  earlier  comple- 
tion. As,  however,  you  have  chosen  to  speak  of  "  the  distin- 
guished and  lucrative  situation  assigned  we,"  I  cannot  refrain 
from  informing  you  that  I  feel  no  pride  in  the  distinction  your  ap- 
pointment confers  on  me  ;  that  I  would  not  turn  upon  my  heel  to 
preserve  it ;  and  that  you  are  at  liberty  to  take  it  back  when  you 
please  ;  nay,  more,  that  it  is  your  duty  to  do  so,  if  you  were  sin- 
cere in  saying  that  I  "  have  created  many  difficulties  in  fitting  out 
the  expedition." 

Why,  sir,  if  you  were  consistent,  the  very  charges  you  bring 
against  me  ought  to  make  me  yom  greatest  favourite.  When,  un- 
til in  this  instance,  did  you  ever  complain  of  any  one  for  throwing 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  expedition  ?  Indeed,  rumour  says — 
and  I  have  seen  some  things  which  went  far  in  confirmation  of 
the  thousand-tongued  goddess  having  for  once  spoken  truth — that 
those  who  threw  most  impediments  in  the  way  of  the  enterprise 
have  been  favoured  with  distinguishing  marks  of  your  regard, 
and  have  obtained  from  you  almost  anything  for  which  they 
asked  ;  and,  further,  that,  until  very  lately,  the  surest  passport  to 
your  good  graces  was  to  attack  the  exploring  expedition.  I  have 
heard  it  asserted  that  this  ruse  has  been  practised  more  than  once, 
and  always  with  the  same  distinguished  success. 

You  say,  in  the  conclusion  of  your  third  number,  that  I  have 
not  only  contrived  to  render  myself  ridiculous,  "  but  to  throw 
some  degree  of  ridicule  upon  the  present  exploring  expedition  ;" 
and  that  "  to  divert  this  ridicule  from  the  officers  of  the  navy 
who  may  embark  in  this  expedition,  and  to  confine  it  to  its  proper 
source,  and  to  show  that  the  scientific  corps  selected  are  not  of 
the  school  of  the  savan  in  question,  shall  be  the  peculiar  care  of 
A  Friend  to  the  Navy."  Sir,  this  manifesto  of  your  "  peculiar" 
intentions  does  not  surprise  me.  It  is  only  in  perfect  keeping 
with  your  "  peculiar"  line  of  conduct  towards  me  from  the  begin- 
ning ;  and  I  should  feel  surprised  if  it  were  not  continued  to  the 
end.     I  expect  nothing  from  your  magnanimity  or  your  justice  ! 

As  regards  my  attainments,  I  am  free  to  own  they  are  far  from 
equalling  my  wishes,  and  by  no  means  what  I  yet  hope  to  make 
them.     Nevertheless,  humble  as  they  are,  I  can  feel  little  anxiety 


110  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

as  to  their  estimate  by  one  who  could  not,  in  all  probability,  find 
his  way  across  the  Atlantic  if  put  to  the  test ;  or  give  the  number 
of  cubic  mches  in  a  sapling  six  feet  in  length  and  four  inches  in 
diameter,  though  the  emoluments  of  his  office  depended  on  the 
result;  one,  the  barren  records  of  whose  entire  public  life  afford 
not  a  solitary  instance  of  a  useful  measure  originated  or  a  single 
patriotic  sacrifice  made  in  furtherance  of  the  public  good. 
With  great  respect, 

I  have  the  honour  to  be 

Your  obedient  servant  and  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

New- York,  September  23,  1837, 


Exploring  Expedition. — We  invite  the  attention  of  all  our  readers,  but  more  particularly 
the  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  to  the  letter  of  "  A  Citizen"  addressed  to 
the  secretary  of  the  navy  in  this  day's  paper.  It  will  be  followed  by  two  others  ;  and 
upon  i\\e  facts  which  these  letters  will  bring  before  the  public  we  are  perfectly  willing 
that  the  merits  and  demerits  of  the  expedition,  as  now  organized,  should  rest. — Editor  of 
the  New-York  Courier  mid  Enquirer. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 

Sir, 
When  I  had  closed  my  ninth  letter,  addressed  to  you  through 
the  New-York  Times,  I  felt  that  kind  of  pleasure  which  the  mind 
experiences  when  an  unpleasant,  but,  at  the  same  time,  a  necessa- 
ry duty  has  been  performed.  In  my  correspondence  with  you, 
through  the  medium  alluded  to,  I  took  occasion  to  speak  of  your 
official  conduct,  as  connected  with  the  vSouth  Sea  surveying  and 
exploring  expedition,  with  the  directness  which  the  subject  seemed 
to  require.  I  charged  you  with  official  delinquency,  and,  in  a  se- 
ries of  letters,  I  went  into  detail  for  the  purpose  of  ^^howing  that 
the  charge  was  well  founded.  Through  the  same  channel  in  which 
my  communications  appeared  you  replied,  by  way  of  defence,  in 
four  niunbers,  over  the  signature  of  "A  Friend  to  the  Navy," 
The  controversy  became  troublesome  to  you,  and  I  desisted,  de- 
lighted with  the  thought  that  I  should  not  again  liave  occasion  to 
address  you.     But  1  was  mistaken.     Tlie  expedition  has  not  yet 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  Ill 

sailed.  Your  annual  report  shows  the  quo  animo  with  which  you 
still  regard  it.  New  comn^issions  are  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  it ; 
the  delusive  impression  is  still  to  be  kept  alive,  that  a  reduction 
of  its  force  would  render  it  more  efficient  and  more  likely  to  se- 
cure the  important  objects  for  which  it  was  authorized.  Is  this 
true  ?  Why  are  you  not  more  explicit  ?  Why  do  you  not  state 
what  force  you  would  substitute,  and  show  the  manner  in  which 
the  great  purposes  of  the  enterprise  can  be  fulfilled  by  that  force  ? 
Sir,  there  is  no  organization  that  would  suit  you.  I  remember 
that,  three  years  ago,  you  were  hostile  to  the  measure  in  every 
shape  and  form.  I  recollect  that  the  year  following,  when  the 
legislature  of  New-Jersey  passed  a  resolution  recommending  it  to 
the  favourable  notice  of  Congress,  you  so  modified  your  hostility 
as  to  consent  to  have  the  word  "  exploration"  inserted  in  the  gen- 
eral navy  appropriation  bill  for  1836.  You  would  not,  even  then, 
listen  to  the  suggestion  of  an  expedition  being  especially  provided 
for,  but  said  you  would  send  out  one  or  two  small  vessels,  to  act 
under  the  orders  of  the  commanders  of  the  Pacific  squadron. 
These  were  your  enlarged  notions  of  a  great  national  enterprise  ; 
an  enterprise  in  which  we  were  to  make  our  dehid  in  the  field  of 
maritime  discovery ;  and  these  opinions  you  expressed  in  my 
presence,  and  in  conversation  with  me. 

Sir,  the  truth  is,  and  of  this  you  are  well  aware,  that,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end,  in  your  private  as  well  as  official  capacity, 
you  have  been  an  enemy  to  the  undertaking,  and  never  omitted 
any  effort  that  could  retard  or  tend  to  defeat  it.  I  do  not  assert 
that  you  have  been  bold  and  manly  in  your  opposition.  Far  from 
it.  At  first  your  attack  was  open  ;  but,  as  the  current  of  public 
opinion  began  to  set  strongly  in  favour  of  the  measure,  and  the 
pride,  and  intelligence,  and  science  of  the  country  became  enlisted 
in  its  behalf,  your  opposition  assumed  a  more  covert  form.  You 
now,  on  many  occasions,  professed  yourself  friendly  to  the  expe- 
dition, but  then  all  was  wrong  about  it ;  another  organization 
would  have  been  the  right  one  ;  and  every  available  incident  was 
made  a  plea  for  delay.  If  an  officer  wished  to  disconnect  him- 
self from  the  exploring  squadron,  his  wish  was  almost  anticipa- 
ted ;  if  another,  from  Missouri,  was  desirous  of  joining  it,  he  could 
have  permission  to  do  so,  provided  he  bore  Jus  own  expenses  to 
Boston.     Was  an  excuse  wanted  for  the  tardiness  of  your  depart- 


112  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

merit  in  despatcliing  vessels  to  oilier  stations,  the  expedition  fur- 
nished It.  Did  matters  look  threatening  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
no  vessel  was  so  well  fitted  to  protect  our  commerce  in  that  quar- 
ter as  the  Macedonian.  Did  the  political  horizon  betoken  a  squall 
in  the  direction  of  Mexico,  the  exploring  vessels  must  be  kept  at 
home  to  fight.  The  banks  suspended  specie  payments,  and 
straightway  the  difficulty  of  procuring  a  large  amount  in  specie 
to  send  out  in  the  ships  was  a  mountain  not  to  be  got  over,  though, 
in  sober  truth,  twenty,  or,  at  the  most,  thirty  thousand  dollars 
would  have  been  an  ample  supply.  'J'hus  have  you  gone  on,  vir- 
tually trampling  upon  the  laws  of  Congress,  and  setting  at  defiance 
the  wishes  of  the  whole  country.  That  a  day  of  reckoning  is  at 
hand  is  the  prevailing  opinion,  but  with  that  matter  I  have  nothing 
to  do.  I  have  only  been  induced  to  take  up  my  pen  by  the  pe- 
rusal of  your  annual  report,  and  shall  confine  myself  to  an  exam- 
ination of  that  specious  and  hollow  document. 

In  looking  over  that  portion  of  your  report  in  which  you  speak 
of  the  fiscal  concerns  of  the  expedition,  I  find  that  the  three  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  appropriated  by  Congress  in  May,  1836, 
was  all  expended  in  preparing  the  vessels.  This  is  a  serious  item, 
and  makes  a  heavy  account  against  the  enterprise.  But  the  state- 
ment is  only  calculated  to  mislead  the  public.  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered that  sixty-two  thousand  dollars  of  this  sum  went  to  the 
completion  of  the  frigate  Macedonian  ;  an  amount  which  would 
have  been  required  from  the  treasury  for  the  same  object  under 
any  other  head.  The  store-ship  Relief  was  on  the  stocks  before 
the  measure  wis  authorized  ;  the  sum  necessary  to  finish  that 
vessel  was  nearly  as  large  as  that  which  had  been  required  for 
completing  the  Macedonian,  and  it  would  have  been  expended 
under  any  circumstances.  In  adchlion  to  these  vessels,  two  brigs 
of  two  hundred  and  thirty  tons  each,  and  a  schooner  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  tons,  were  built,  which  consumed  the  residue  of 
the  three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Now  the  two  brigs  have  been 
compactly  and  stronirly  constructcnl.  They  will  last  twenty  years, 
and  can  be  advantageously  used  as  transports,  or  on  other  duly, 
and  may  be  thus  employed  whether  they  do  or  do  not  s;iil  on  the 
specific  service  for  which  they  were  intended.  The  schooner  Pilot 
is  not  worth  what  she  cost ;  but  to  whom  is  the  fault  attributable  ? 
We  shall  see  anon. 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  113 

Thus  it  becomes  evident  that,  in  the  disbursement  of  the  first 
appropriation,  the  country  has  sustained  no  loss  ;  that  two  ships, 
partially  built,  have  been  finished  by  the  application  of  this  fund, 
and  two  other  vessels  added  to  our  naval  force.  It  is  true  that 
the  cost  of  labour  put  upon  these  vessels  appears  very  high,  being 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  one  hundred  percent,  more  than  the  same  work 
could  have  been  done  for  in  a  private  shipyard.  But  this,  if  a 
fault,  is  to  be  charged  to  the  manner  in  which  the  public  work  is 
done,  and  cannot  be  attributed  to  the  expedition,  or  to  any  one 
connected  with  it.  If  the  vessels  are  not  framed  after  the  most 
approved  plan,  to  whom  should  the  blame  be  imputed  ?  I  have 
heard  it  whispered  that  the  first  designs  made  by  the  naval  con- 
structer  for  the  model  of  these  craft  were  altered.  If  so,  by 
whom  ?  Certainly  not  by  Commodore  Jones.  I  have  before  me 
a  copy  of  a  letter  from  that  officer  to  the  naval  artificer,  where  he 
asks  for  vessels  in  which  good  sailing,  good  storage,  and  good 
accommodations  should  be  combined  ;  and  not  one  of  these  qual- 
ities was  to  he  sacrificed  to  another.  In  this  letter  he  says  no- 
thing about  length,  breadth,  or  model,  but  leaves  all  these  matters 
to  be  settled  in  the  quarter  where  they  are  usually  decided.  If 
the  schooner  Pilot  be  unfit  for  ihe  service  for  which  she  was  ex- 
pressly built,  the  Active  ought  to  have  been  furnished  in  her  stead 
without  additional  charge,  as  a  tailor  would  furnish  a  new  garment 
in  the  place  of  one  that  did  not  fit  when  made  to  order.  If  the 
brigs  be  what  they  ought  to  be,  then  they  are,  under  any  circum- 
stances, worth  to  government  what  they  cost ;  that  is,  as  much 
as  anything  made  in  our  public  yards  is  worth  what  it  cost ;  if 
they  are  not  what  they  should  be,  then  there  has  been  bad  man- 
agement in  some  quarter,  and  the  friends  of  the  expedition  are 
not  responsible.  So  much,  then,  for  the  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars  of  the  million  and  a  half  which  this  prodigal  undertaking 
is  to  cost  the  nation. 

After  showing  what  was  the  outlay  for  these  vessels,  and  char- 
ging what  had  been  expended  in  finishing  the  Macedonian  and 
Relief  (already  under  way),  as  well  as  the  amount  disbursed  for 
the  construction  of  the  smaller  craft,  to  the  account  of  the  expedi- 
tion, you  have  carefully  added  the  sum  which  would  be  necessary 
for  the  support  of  the  squadron  during  the  three  years  of  its  con- 
templated absence,  and  appear  to  have  felt  increased  strength,  as 

P 


114  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

you  again  tlirevv  llie  whole  weight  of  the  department  against  the 
measure  in  the  following  sentence  : 

'' As  this  statement  of  facts  could  leave  no  doubt  that  the  ex- 
ploring expedition  loould  cost  nearly,  if  not  quite,  a  million  and  a 
half  of  dollars,  and  as  it  greatly  exceeded  in  number  of  vessels  and 
men  the  most  successful  expeditions  of  like  character  heretofore  sent 
out  by  the  maritime  powers  of  Europe,  it  was  believed  that  its 
amount  would  have  been  reduced  by  withholding  a  part  of  the  ap- 
propriation asked  for  by  the  estimate.  This,  however,  was  not 
deemed  eocpedient,  and  the  full  appropriations  were  made  by  an 
act  of  the  third  of  March  last" 

Now,  sir,  with  all  due  deference,  I  take  up  this  assumption, 
which  is  unsustained  by  a  single  argument,  and  am  prepared  to  show- 
that  the  exploring  expedition,  as  authorized  by  Congress  and  sanc- 
tioned by  the  late  executive,  in  its  naval  and  scientific  departments, 
in  all  that  it  is  designed  to  effect,  courts  investigation,  and  will  bear 
it.  The  more  closely  it  is  compared  with  what  the  maritime 
powers  of  Europe  have  done  ;  the  more  it  is  examined  and  un- 
derstood by  a  careful  analysis  of  our  interest  in  and  our  knowledge 
of  the  seas  where  its  labours  are  to  be  performed,  and  an  inquiry 
if  the  present  force  be  not  properly  adapted  to  the  faithful  perform- 
ance of  its  labours,  the  more  will  its  friends  be  strenrrthcned  in 
their  position.  On  the  other  hand,  lliose  who  have  not  had  leisure 
to  examine  the  subject  in  detail,  or  have  been  misled  by  yoiir  ob- 
jections, ill-founded  as  they  are,  will  perceive  that  the  ^real  na- 
tional objects  to  be  attained  would  jiislify  an  increase  rather  than 
warrant  a  diminution  of  the  force  at  present  prepared  ;  and  which, 
but  for  your  hostility  to  the  whole  enterprise,  might  ere  now  have 
been  in  the  field  of  its  usefulness,  engaged  in  those  investigations 
which  our  interest  and  our  honour  equally  require  should  be  made. 

And  what,  sir,  arc  the  arguments  at  this  day  in  favour  of  the 
design  ?  They  have  been  again  and  again  set  forth  in  able  reports 
from  committees  in  Congress,  and  arc  understood  by  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  whole  country  ;  but  nevertheless  they  receive  no 
consideration  from  you.  It  is  hunulinting  to  have  occasion  to 
recur  to  them  at  this  late  period,  and  I  shall  do  so  as  concisely  as 
possible.  No  portion  of  the  commerce  of  the  nation  is  ni-ore  im- 
portant than  that  carried  on  in  the  seas  which  it  is  to  be  the  chief 
duty  of  the  expedition  to  survey  and  explore.     At  the  lowest  esti- 


LETTERS    OF    A    ClTlZJiiV.  115 

mate,  twelve  millions  of  active  capital  are  involved  in  one  branch 
of  the  whale-fishery,  and  there  are  ennployed  in  tlie  whole  busi- 
ness, directly  and  indirectly,  not  less  than  sixty  milHons  of  prop- 
erly, twelve  thousand  seamen,  and  from  one  hundred  and  sixty  to 
one  hundred  and  seventy  thousand  tons  of  shipping.  The  annual 
income  to  the  United  States  from  this  source  is  between  five  and 
six  millions  of  dollars.  It  is  to  the  protection  and  safety  of  this 
important  interest  that  the  expedition  has  a  direct  reference,  as 
has  been  again  and  again  stated  in  memorials  to  Congress.  The 
whaling  business  is  chiefly  carried  on  in  seas  more  remote  and 
less  accurately  known  than  any  other  regions  visited  by  our  ves- 
sels. Hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  islands  and  reefs  existing  there 
have  no  place  or  name  on  our  latest  and  most  approved  charts. 
For  instance,  there  are  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred 
islands  in  the  Fiji  group  alone,  not  one  of  which  can  be  found, 
with  sailing  instructions,  on  any  map  or  chart  hitherto  published. 
With  this  group  we  have  had  no  inconsiderable  trade  in  native  pro- 
ductions suitable  to  the  Chinese  market;  and  the  amount  of  prop- 
erty lost  there  from  the  want  of  a  more  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
locality  of  the  islands  would  pay  a  goodly  portion  of  the  expen- 
ses of  the  expedition.  More  than  one  hundred  mariners,  American 
seamen,  have  been  shipwrecked,  and  a  large  majority  of  them 
sacrificed  to  the  murderous  cruelty  of  the  natives  at  the  Fiji  Islands 
alone,  while  we  have  never  endeavoured  to  overawe  the  savages 
by  any  demonstration  of  our  power,  or  tried  to  conciliate  them  by 
kindness. 

Let  us  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  the  exploring  squadron  has 
arrived  at  New-Zealand ;  perhaps  the  best  point  from  which  to 
commence  its  operations,  either  north  or  south.  Stretching  to  the 
northward,  the  Fijis  would  command  immediate  attention.  How 
could  the  present  force  be  employed  in  that  archipelago  ?  The 
frigate  would  not  be  engaged  in  sounding  among  the  coral  reefs; 
she  might  take  her  station  in  succession  at  the  principal  islands, 
and  with  her  boats  and  launch,  to  the  latter  of  which  has  been  af- 
fixed a  compact,  well-made  engine,  of  five  horse  power,  provided 
by  the  prudential  forecast  of  Commodore  Jones,  might  survey  the 
principal  harbours  of  the  largest  island,  and  of  all  others  within 
twenty  or  thirty  miles,  while  the  minor  vessels  would  be  de- 
spatched on  more  distant  surveys  to  the  other  portions  of  the 


116  LFTTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

group.  The  frigate  would  be  the  headquarters,  from  whence  aU 
subsidiary  expeditions  would  depart,  and  to  which  all  returna 
would  be  made.  On  board  of  her  the  charts  would  be  prepared 
from  the  notes  and  observations  of  surveying  parties;  and  from 
her  the  smaller  vessels  would  receive  protection,  and  every  facility 
in  the  execution  of  the  duties  allotted  to  them.  Upon  her  decks, 
or  by  her  officers  on  shore,  conferences  might  be  held  with  the 
native  chiefs  ;  and  if  by  a  mild,  conciliatory  deportment  their  con- 
fidence could  not  be  won,  the  formidable  aspect  of  such  a  vessel 
would  overawe  and  restrain  them.  If  one  of  the  smaller  craft, 
while  engaged  in  surveys  among  the  islands,  or  while  in  a  high 
latitude  during  the  few  months  of  the  southern  summer  when  it 
would  be  proper  to  trust  her  there,  should  sustain  any  damage,  she 
could  fall  back  upon  the  frigate,  as  upon  a  friendly  haven,  for  suc- 
cour and  repairs.  Shipwrecked  mariners  now  in  captivity  might 
be  rescued,  and  their  deliverance  would,  probably,  be  accomplished 
by  the  mere  exhibition  of  a  force  adequate  to  compel  their  libera- 
tion. The  sick  from  the  store-ship,  brigs,  or  schooner,  might  be 
made  more  comfortable  on  board  the  frigate,  while  from  her  crew 
their  places  could  be  supplied  with  fresh  hands. 

The  two  largest  islands  in  the  Fiji  cluster  are  Navihictevoo  to 
the  south,  and  Fikanova  to  the  north,  both  of  which  contain  fine 
harbours.  These  would  form  at  different  times,  according  to 
their  proximity  to  the  scene  of  action,  the  rendezvous  of  the  ex- 
pedition, while  the  hydrographical  and  scientific  labours  were  go- 
ing on,  by  means  of  the  frigate's  boats  and  the  smaller  vessels,  in 
the  various  portions  of  the  group.  This  archipelago  of  islands  is 
not  a  mere  collection  of  barren  reefs  and  sandbanks,  but  it  is  inhab- 
ited by,  it  is  supposed,  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  natives,  of 
whom,  as  well  as  of  the  varied  produce  of  their  country,  we  pos- 
sess no  authentic  information.  And  yet,  from  a  single  port  in  the 
United  States,  we  have  had  near  a  dozen  vessels  engaged,  as  al- 
ready stated,  in  procuring  from  the  members  of  this  cluster  such 
articles  as  were  suitable  to  the  China  market.  In  exchancre  for 
these,  rich  returns  have  been  made  to  this  country,  the  duties  on 
which  have  for  years  added  to  our  national  revenue.  But  these 
are  matters  you  have  studiously  kept  out  of  sight  in  all  your  re- 
ports. If  you  were  ignorant  of  the  facts,  which,  in  charity,  I  have 
sometimes  been  tempted  to  believe,  that   you  are   not  disposed 


LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN.  117 

to  become  acquainted  with  them  I  know  from  the  circumstance 
that  you  have  avowed  your  intention  not  to  look  at  the  memorials 
to  Congress  praying  for  the  expedition,  nor  to  the  reports  of  com- 
mittees setting  forth  its  objects,  while  making  up  your  mind  of 
what  the  material  and  jDersonel  of  the  enterprise  should  consist, 
when  it  was  to  sail,  and  what  it  was  to  do. 

Putting  the  case  that  the  exploring  squadron  had  accomplished 
all  that  was  necessary  to  be  done  at  the  Fiji  Islands,  where  would 
you  next  direct  its  course  ?  In  every  direction  from  that  point  it 
would  find  duties  to  perform  ;  but  I  wish  to  bring  you  down  from 
your  generalities  to  something  specific,  and,  therefore,  repeat, 
where  would  you  next  direct  its  course  ?  Perhaps  it  is  not  re- 
spectful in  me  to  propose  this  question,  recollecting,  as  I  do,  that 
your  knowledge  of  geography  and  our  interest  in  the  seas  to 
which  I  refer  only  enabled  you  to  name  three  places  on  the  globe 
in  your  general  instructions  for  the  guidance  of  the  expedition, 
and  all  of  these  as  well  known  as  the  port  of  Brazil,  the  Falkland 
Islands,  or  New-Zealand. 

About  seven  hundred  miles  northeast  from  the  Fijis  lies  the 
Navigator  Group.  Let  this  be  considered  the  next  point  of  gen- 
eral rendezvous.  In  the  passage  thither  the  lesser  vessels  might 
vary  their  routes,  touching  at  and  fixing  the  positions  of  the  west- 
erly and  least  known  portions  of  the  Friendly  Islands ;  while  the 
frigate  might  show  herself  in  the  principal  harbours,  hold  commu- 
nications with  the  natives,  and,  by  so  doing,  promote  the  interest 
and  add  to  the  security  of  our  shipping  in  that  quarter.  The  Samoa, 
or  Navigator's  Group,  was  discovered  by  the  French  circumnavi- 
gator, Bougainville,  in  1678,  and  again  visited  by  La  Peyrouse  in 
1788,  more  than  a  century  afterward.  M.  de  Langle,  the  com- 
panion of  La  Peyrouse,  with  a  number  of  his  men,  were  killed  by 
the  islanders.  In  consequence  of  this  catrastrophe,  an  impression 
prevailed  for  many  years  that  these  islands  could  not  with  safely 
be  visited.  Nothing  to  be  relied  on  in  the  hydrography  was 
given  by  the  French  discoverers  ;  and  Kotzebue,  who  touched  at 
this  group  subsequently,  did  not  correct  a  single  error  of  his  pre- 
decessors.  Even  Norie,  in  his  epitome,  gives  the  names  of  the 
islands  different  from  those  they  bear  on  his  charts  of  the  Pacific, 
and  neither  are  correct.  This  archipelago  consists  of  eight  isl* 
ands,  and  contains  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 


J 18  LETTERS    OF   A    CITIZEK. 

inhabitants.  So  far  from  it  being  unsafe  to  hold  intercourse  with 
them,  the  natives  are  now  known  to  be  among  the  most  docile  of 
the  Pacific  islanders.  It  was  formerly  supposed  that  there  were 
no  harbours  in  this  group.  This  is  not  so ;  Tutuila  has  two,  m 
one  of  which  the  Pennsylvania,  and,  of  course,  the  Macedonian, 
might  ride  at  anchor.  Opolu  is  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  miles  in  circumference,  and  has  a  fine  haven  open  to 
the  north.  The  bottom  is  sandy,  and  within  twenty  yards  of 
the  shore  there  are  five  fathoms  water.  A  small  river  disem- 
boo-ues  into  the  bav.  One  would  imagine  the  Macedonian  might 
get  into  such  a  harbour  without  much  difficulty.  The  largest 
member  of  the  cluster  is  Savaii,  which  is  at  least  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  circumference,  with  lofty  mountains,  which  may 
be  seen  at  the  distance  of  seventy  miles. 

Thus  it  appears,  sir,  that  one  of  the  most  considerable,  as  well 
as  the  most  populous  groups  in  the  Pacific,  lying  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Society  and  Fiji  Islands,  and  in  the  same  range  with 
the  New-Hebrides,  New-Caledonia,  &c.,rich  in  all  the  productions 
of  the  tropics,  remains  to  this  day,  so  far  as  a  minute  and  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  it  is  concerned,  a  terra  incognita.  Yes,  sir, 
and  this  is  not  all;  it  lies  in  the  very  track  of  our  great  whaling 
operations,  and  a  survey  of  its  fine  harbours — valuable  from  their 
abundant  supply  of  all  the  varied  productions  of  the  tropics — 
would  be  of  immediate  and  incalculable  advantage  to  our  fisheries 
and  other  commercial  interests  in  that  quarter. 

Thus  might  I  proceed,  sir,  if  the  limits  within  which  I  must 
confine  myself  would  permit,  to  enumerate  the  islands  and  clus- 
ters of  islands  which  the  expedition  should  visit.  I  might  show- 
how  our  trade  could  be  rendered  more  secure,  as  well  as  greatly 
increased,  by  opening  new  markets  for  our  agricultural  and  man- 
ufacturing productions.  Yes,  sir,  augmented  to  an  extent  of 
which  you  probably  never  dreamed,  or,  at  least,  if  you  had  any 
idea  of  it,  you  carefully  kept  your  knowledge  ^ert/w  while  speak- 
ing of  the  expedition.  It  were  an  easy  mnttcr  also  to  show  how 
one  or  two  of  the  minor  vessels  might  and  ought  to  make  their 
way  south  during  the  most  favourable  months  of  the  southern 
summer,  and  afterward,  on  the  approach  of  winter  in  the  soulhern 
hemisphere,  fall  back  to  participate  in  the  surveys  going  on  among 
the  islands.     By  these  efforts  to  reach  high  southern  latitudes,  re- 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  119 

peated  each  year  on  different  meridians,  great  acquisitions  could 
and  would  be  made  to  our  present  knowledge  of  the  southern 
seas,  and  the  nation  would  be  reimbursed  for  its  outlay  by  the 
opening  of  new  channels  of  trade  in  animal  furs. 

Sir,  talk  as  you  may  about  the  expense  of  the  undertaking,  the 
country  owes  the  amount,  ten  times  told,  for  the  revenue  collected 
from  the  varied  trade  in  the  regions  alluded  to ;  a  revenue  ob- 
tained without  the  expenditure  of  a  dollar  for  the  protection  of  the 
contributors  thereto.  But  even  if  the  debt  were  not  already  due 
lo  the  unaided  enterprise  of  our  citizens,  the  benefits  which  must 
follow  would  repay,  with  noble  interest,  the  expenses  incurred. 
WIio,  then,  that  looks  at  the  great  national  purposes  to  be  attained, 
will  assert  that  the  force  prepared  is  too  large  ?  Sir,  it  should  be 
increased  by  two  more  small  vessels  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
tons  each,  if  any  alteration  be  made  ;  and  this,  too,  with  reference 
lo  ils  important  naval  and  hydrographical  labours,  which  are  the 
primary  and  paramount  objects  that  led  to  the  action  of  Congress. 
I  have  yet  to  speak  of  the  corps  of  naturalists  which  has  been  or- 
ganized. What,  in  harmonious  action  with  the  naval  officers, 
may  be  expected  from  that  corps  ?  I  undertake  to  show  that  no 
comparison  with  "the  most  successful  expeditions  of  like  charac- 
ter heretofore  sent  out  by  the  maritime  powers  of  Europe"  will 
justify  a  reduction  of  their  numbers.  Sir,  I  will  go  into  the  com- 
parison anon  in  all  its  bearings,  and  you  shall  be  welcome  to 
all  the  support  you  can  draw  from  it.  Upon  the  issue  of  that 
comparison  the  friends  of  the  expedition  might  fearlessly  rest 
their  cause,  as  in  it  they  will  find  a  triumphant  vindication  of 
what  they  have  done  and  propose  to  do,  notwithstanding  the  com- 
mission  you  appointed  in  Jime  last  have  told  us  that,  had  they 
"  been  called  upon  before  any  preparations  had  been  made,  to 
state  the  number  and  character  of  the  vessels  luhich,  in  their 
opinion,  would  be  best  calculated  to  secure  the  attainment  of  these 
proposed  objects,  they  certainly  icould  not  have  recommended 
those  ivhich  have  been  prepared:'  Sir,  I  am  astonished  that  you 
should  have  introduced  this  isolated  sentence  in  your  report  to 
the  president  aixl  Congress,  though  I  can  readily  perceive  the 
motive  for  doing  so.  What,  sir,  were  the  "proposed  objects," 
for  the  attainment  of  which  that  board  of  officers  would  have  rec- 
ommended a  different  force  ?     The  public  will  see  when  the  in- 


120  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

formation  called  for  is  published.  In  your  instructions  to  that 
board,  sir,  you  kept  out  of  view  all  the  important  and  leading  op- 
erations to  be  performed  among  the  islands  of  the  Pacific.  You 
told  the  members  that  the  objects  of  the  expedition  ivere  to  go  as 
near  the  South  Pole  as  could  be  done  with  safety.  Confined  to 
that  branch  of  the  undertaking,  the  force  would  be  too  large  ;  and 
the  commissioners,  governed  by  your  instructions,  did  right  in 
saying  so.  You  were  grievously  chagrined  at  not  being  seconded 
in  your  plan  of  mutilation  by  the  report  of  that  body,  and,  for  a 
lime,  allowed  the  preparations  to  go  on  with  a  much  better  grace 
than  you  had  previously  done,  though  I  never  imagined  you 
would  permit  the  squadron  to  depart  before  the  meeting  of  the 
present  Congress.  The  condition  of  the  national  finances  prom- 
ised you  much ;  while  the  possibility  that  Congress,  wearied 
and  disgusted  with  the  delay  and  expenses  already  incurred, 
might  allow  you  to  break  up  the  "  whole  concern,"  or  to  cripple 
and  send  it  out  on  a  scale  which  would  mar  its  usefulness,  was 
doubtless  a  source  of  self-complacent  reflection  to  you.  Other- 
wise how  shall  we  account  for  the  fact  that,  the  moment  you 
heard  of  the  greatly-to-be-regretted  indisposition  of  Commodore 
Jones,  you  renewed,  with  indecent  haste,  your  former  efforts  at 
cutting  down,  which,  with  you,  means  the  same  as  cutting  up  1 
Instantly  another  commission  is  organized,  with  which  you  hope 
to  succeed,  though  disappointed  by  the  first.  Sir,  I  respectfully 
inquire,  what  instructions  have  you  given  this  new  commission  ] 
Have  you  presented  the  whole  subject,  in  all  its  bearings,  fully 
and  fairly?  Have  you  handed  in  the  correspondence  between 
Commodore  Jones  and  the  former  board  ?  If  you  have  done  this 
in  good  faith,  then  you  will  not  be  sustained.  If  you  have  not, 
the  report  will  be  made  on  a  partial  exparte  statement,  and  will 
be  undeserving  the  consideration  which  the  opinion  of  the  officers 
selected,  under  other  circumstances,  would  be  entitled  to.  I  shall 
write  you  again. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be. 

Very  respectfully,  your  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

N«w.york,  D«c«mb<w  28,  1837. 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  121 

XI. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 
Perhaps  I  ought  lo  apologize  for  affixing  your  name  lo  the  head 
of  this  letter,  inasniuch  as  I  now  intend  to  speak  of  the  scientific 
labours  to  be  perfornied  by  individuals  attached  to  the  expedition. 
To  this  department  of  the  enterprise,  notwithstanding  all  your 
correspondence  with  learned  societies  and  your  many  professions, 
you  are  inveterately  hostile.  Well  do  you  know  that  ihc  very 
measures  you  are  at  present  urging  will  break  up  the  scientific 
corps,  and  render  nugatory  all  the  lime  and  means  expended  in  its 
ample  preparations  ;  that  they  will  destroy  the  efficiency  of  the  hy- 
drographical  department,  in  which  the  naval  officers,  as  a  body, 
would  find  constant  and  arduous  professional  employment.  Of  the 
duties  of  the  latter,  as  regards  hydrography,  I  spoke  concisely  in 
my  last  letter.  With  no  complaint  from  the  people  in  any  quarter 
against  the  magnitude  or  expenses  of  the  undertaking,  as  now 
contemplated,  but,  on  the  contrary,  with  the  public  voice  every- 
where in  its  favour,  you  cannot  hope  to  escape  the  accountability 
to  which  your  official  action  has  subjected  you  ;  an  accountability 
that  few  men  wowld  be  willing  to  incur  for  all  the  honours  and 
emoKiments  of  your  office,  even  though  the  incumbent  might  hoard 
wpjive  thousand  dollars  per  annum  ! 

I  have  asserted  that  you  were  hostile  to  the  scientific  corps, 
malgre  all  you  have  said  and  written  to  the  learned  upon  the  sub- 
ject. You  commenced  its  organization  with  extreme  reluctance; 
and  it  is  notorious  that  you  used  the  most  extraordinary  efforts  to 
create  jealousies  between  its  members  and  the  naval  officers. 
When  the  principal  savans  were  selected,  having  first  been 
strongly  recommended  by  our  learned  societies,  their  appointment 
teas  not  your  act,  but  the  credit  of  it  belongs  to  the  late  executive, 
who  compelled  you  to  perform  this  galling  duty.  That  distin- 
guished individual  took  a  most  lively  interest  in  the  expedition  ; 
and,  as  some  prominent  members  now  in  Congress,  as  well  as 
yourself,  are  perfectly  aware,  was  resolved  that,  so  far  as  he  was 
concerned,  it  should  be  sent  out  in  all  respects  worthy  of  the  na- 

Q 


122  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

tion  from  which  it  emanated.  You  spoke  to  him  of  what  other 
countries  had  done,  and  lie  told  you  what  this  country  should,  do. 
In  proof  of  his  design  that  the  enterprise  should  be  all  that  its 
best  friends  desired,  behold  your  own  words,  quoted  from  your 
annual  report  in  1836,  in  which  you  vouch  for  the  late  president's 
hberal  sentiments  in  the  following  conclusive  statement : 

"  As,  however,  it  ivas  your  earnest  wish  that  the  intentions  Oj 
Congress  in  authorizing  this  measure  should  be  carried  into  ef- 
fect with  the  least  possible  delay,  and  that  the  expedition  should 
be  fitted  out  on  the  extensive  and  liberal  scale  which  the  indica- 
tions of  jmblic  opinion  seemed  to  require,''''  &c.,  &c. 

And  how  have  you  fulfilled,  how  are  you  now  fulfilling,  the 
wishes  of  the  late  head  of  the  nation  ?  But  I  forbear  !  The  prin- 
cipal appointments  in  the  corps  were  made  twelve  months  ago, 
and  its  members  severally  accepted  their  commissions.  Relin- 
quishing all  other  employments,  they  held  themselves  in  readiness 
for  active  service  at  a  moment's  warning;  and  Congress,  at  the 
last  session,  made  provision  for  their  pay  for  1837.  Some  of  these 
gentlemen  were  connected  with  the  most  respectable  institutions 
in  the  country  ;  and  others,  to  my  knowledge,  had  refused  pro- 
fessorships. From  December  to  the  4ih  of  July  last  you  kept 
them  in  suspense,  and  without  salary;  although  each  of  them,  du- 
ring that  interval,  was  more  or  less  employed,  in  some  instances 
under  the  authority  of  your  department,  in  labours  having  direct 
reference  to  their  duties  as  members  of  the  scientific  corps. 

"Thousands  at  his  bidding  speed, 
Who  post  o'er  land  and  ocean  wiihoul  rest : 
They  also  serve  who  only  stand  and  wait." 

But  I  waive,  for  the  present,  further  details  respecting  this  por- 
tion of  your  official  conduct,  as  I  wish  to  speak  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  corps. 

There  is  no  part  of  the  preparations  of  this  expedition,  sir,  more 
commendable,  in  every  respect,  than  the  arrangements  made  for 
scientific  research.  To  enlarge  on  the  utility  of  such  observation 
would  be  insulting  to  the  intelligence  of  all  who  pretend  to  keep 
pace  with  the  intellectual  progress  of  the  age.  The  science  of 
the  whole  country,  individually  and  collectively,  is  deeply  con- 
cerned in  the  result  of  the  expedition.  Its  votaries  have  looked 
forward  witli  pride  to  the  not  distant  day  when  this  country  should. 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  123 

wipe  off,  at  one  glorious  effort,  the  taunting  imputation  so  long 
cast  upon  her  character,  that  she  has  never  contributed  to  the  com- 
mon stock  of  knowledge  for  the  benefit  of  mankind,  while  she  was 
constantly  availing  herself  of  that  collected  by  oiliers.  In  what 
manner  can  you  and  your  commissions  atone  to  the  nation  for  the 
frustration  of  these  hopes  ?  I  mean  to  treat  the  members  of  your 
recent  commission  as  I  treated  the  former,  with  courtesy  and  fair- 
ness. The  public,  however,  will  be  anxious  to  see  iheir  reports, 
and  the  instructions  under  wliich  ihey  acted,  \^'ilh  the  evident 
effect,  if  not  with  the  dt^sign,  of  weakening  the  claims  of  ihc  ex- 
pedition, and  of  producing  disaffection  towards  it  in  the  nav;il  ser- 
vice, you  stated  in  your  annual  report  lo  the  president  in  Decem- 
ber, 1836,  that  '■^  scientific  researches  formed  the  most  important 
objects  of  the  expeditiony  If  they  were  so,  why  did  you  not  in- 
vite one  or  two  individuals,  distinguished  for  their  scienlific  at- 
tainments, to  meet  and  confer  with  your  late  commission  ?  This 
you  did  not  do,  and  we  shall  now  behold  your  efforls  to  carry  out 
the  views  of  the  body;  which  views,  I  shall  be  able  lo  sliow,  go 
to  defeat  the  very  designs  which,  you  have  said,  formed  tlie  im- 
portant objects  of  the  expedition.  Hence  it  becomes  necessary  to 
state  the  reasons  which  render  this  division  of  the  enterprise  pe- 
culiarly essential  to  the  accomplishment  of  iis  desired  ends. 

The  expeditions  heretofore  sent  to  the  Pacific  have,  with  a  few 
unimportant  exceptions,  been  despatched  on  some  special  errand 
unconnected  with  general  exploi'ation ;  as  the  survey  of  some 
particular  coast,  harbours,  straits,  or  group,  the  observation  of 
some  phenomena  in  astronomy  or  physics,  the  opening  of  some 
new  channel  of  commerce,  or  the  like  ;  and,  of  course,  the  number 
of  naturalists  accompanying  them  was  proportioned  to  their  con- 
fined field  of  action.  Were  this  squadron  designed  merely  to 
touch  at  a  single  point,  or  only  to  visit  islands  already  partially 
explored,  the  number  of  naturalists  would  be  greater  than  neces- 
sary. But  the  actual  plan  of  this  undertaking  is,  you  must  own, 
altogether  different.  The  space  within  which  ils  operations  will 
be  carried  on  may  be  said  to  extend  from  20^  north  of  the  equator  lo 
the  farthest  attainable  point  south,  and  to  comprise  the  entire  breadih 
of  the  Pacific,  from  the  western  shores  of  Soulh  America  to  the 
eastern  confines  of  Asia;  for  over  the  whole  of  that  wide  expanse 
we  have  interests  afloat  exceeding  in  amoimt  those  of  all  the  mar 


124  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

itime  powers  of  Europe  combined.  This  vast  theatre  of  observa- 
tion embraces  islands  of  all  dimensions,  from  New-Holland  and 
New-Zealand  down  to  the  modest  coral  reef;  and  includes  every 
climate,  from  the  prolific  torrid  zone  to  the  extreme  limits  of  ani- 
mal and  vegetable  life.  I  do  not  affirm  that  every  spot  deserving 
notice  can  be  examined  by  this  flotilla  ;  far  from  it ;  but  I  do  say 
that  those  places  promising  the  richest  return  in  science,  and  most 
immediately  connected  with  our  commercial  marine,  can  be  visit- 
ed, if  the  expedilion  shall  depart  unshorn  of  its  strength. 

If,  then,  the  intended  sphere  of  observation  be  more  extensive 
than  has  been  proposed  in  any  former  enterprise  attempted  by  the 
European  maritime  powers,  it  is  only  in  accordance  with  our  par- 
amount interests  ;  and  the  number  of  observers  should  be  corre- 
spondingly enlarged,  as  also  their  facilities  increased.  This  has 
been  done  by  the  selection  of  individuals,  most  of  whom  have 
given  evidence  of  their  qualifications  by  their  previous  labours; 
and  all  of  whom,  as  before  stated,  have  received  the  recommen- 
dations of  persons  whose  authority  in  these  matters  is  conclusive. 

Let  us  then  take  a  glance  at  this  corps,  as  regards  its  numbers 
and  efficiency,  in  order  that  you  may  have  an  opportunity  of  ta- 
king specific  exceptions  to  it  in  detail.  Come  boldly  forward,  sir, 
before  the  intelligence  and  science  of  the  country,  state  your  ob- 
jections, and  abide  the  issue  of  their  verdict.  This  will  be  better 
than  to  look  for  precedents  as  a  guide  for  an  enterprise  wholly 
unprecedented  in  the  multiplicity  and  importance  of  its  objects. 
I  suppose  that,  in  the  absence  of  official  communication,  the  sci- 
entific department  may  be  said  to  consist  of : 

1.  A  Philologist. 

2.  A  Meteorologist,  to  whom  is  assigned  Natural  Philosophy 
in  general,  or  Physical  Science. 

3.  A  Chymist,  Mineralogist,  and  Geologist. 

4.  A  Geologist,  to  whom  is  especially  assigned  Organic  Geol- 
ogy- 

6.  A  Botanist. 

6.  An  assistant  Botanist. 

7.  An  Anatomist. 

8.  A  Zoologist,  to  whom  is  assigned  Malacology  and  Actiiiol- 
ogy,  or  all  shellfish  and  soft  marine  animals. 

9.  A  Zoologist,  to  whom  is  assigned  Entomology,  car  insect* 
of  the  land  and  sea. 


I 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  125 

10.  A  Zoologist,  10  whom  is  assigned  Ichlhyology  and  Herpe- 
tology,  or  fishes  and  reptiles. 

11.  A  Zoologist,  to  whom  is  assigned  Ornithology  and  Mam* 
malogy,  or  birds  and  quadrupeds. 

ARTISTS. 

12.  A  Zoological  Draughtsman. 

13.  An  assistant  Zoological  Draughtsman 

14.  A  Portrait  Painter. 

15.  A  Landscape  Painter. 

16.  A  Botanical  Draughtsman. 

MECHANICAL  ASSISTANTS. 

17.  A  Machinist,  to  repair  instruments. 

18.  A  Taxidermist,  to  prepare  and  preserve  specimens. 

Thus  ten  departments  only  are  designated,  which  are  filled  by 
persons  engaged  in  scientific  research  ;  two  to  each  vessel  of  the 
squadron  ;  and  the  sum  total  of  savans  employed  is  not  so  great 
as  has  been  sent  out  from  Europe  on  similar  expeditions,  much 
more  limited  in  other  respects.  Nearly  forty  years  ago  the 
French  sent  out  an  expedition  of  discovery  under  Baudin  to  the 
Australian  region,  called  forth  by  a  spirit  of  emulation  and  a  jeal- 
ousy of  national  honour,  excited  by  what  the  English  had  done 
and  were  doing  in  that  quarter.  The  enterprise  was  planned  at 
the  time  the  army  of  reserve  was  about  to  undertake  the  pas^sage 
of  the  Alps.  The  force  consisted  of  two  corvettes  of  thirty  guns 
each,  and  a  schooner;  the  corps  attached  to  which  included  twen- 
tv-three  persons,  viz.,  two  astronomers,  two  hydrographers,  five 
zoologists,  three  botanists,  two  mineralogists,  five  artists,  one  gar- 
dener and  four  assistants,  one  architect  and  draughtsman.  But 
this  is  anticipating,  as  I  propose  to  reserve  for  my  next  letter  a 
comparison  of  the  present  undertaking  with  what  the  "maritime 
powers  of  Europe"  have  done.  From  the  majority  of  former  Eu- 
ropean enterprises  of  discovery  this  expedition  diflfers  in  several 
essential  particulars. 

First.  In  the  appointment  of  a  philologist ;  not  a  person  merely 
to  collect  vocabularies,  but  one  versed  in  the  stmcture  and  affilia- 
tion of  languages,  and  capable  of  throwing  light  on  the  origin, 
migration,  and  history  of  the  varieties  of  the  human  race. 

Secondly.     In  the  iney^ased  number  of  artists.     Of  these  there 


126  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

are  five  ;  and  let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  to  them  is  committed 
the  task  of  dehneating  not  only  every  object  in  the  scenery  ne- 
cessary to  convey  a  correct  idea  of  the  islands  visited,  the  exact 
physiognomy  and  appearance  of  the  natives,  their  manufactures, 
habitations,  &;c.,  but  also  of  portraying  numerous  species  in  nat- 
ural history,  of  which  the  representations  are  required  to  be  ex- 
ceedingly minute  and  accurate  ;  and  through  these  means  of  fix- 
ing by  ocular  demonstration  what  words  alone  can  never  convey 
with  that  correctness  so  indispensable  in  the  details  of  science. 
Were  it  possible  to  reason  with  you  in  any  matter  connected 
with  this  measure,  it  would  be  easy  to  show  ihat  the  number  of 
artists  should  be  augmented.  Most  certainly,  a  decrease  in  their 
numbers  would  seriously  affect  the  interests  of  the  expedition. 

Thirdly.  In  the  selection  of  professional  men  for  each  distinct 
subdivision  of  scientific  inquiries,  who  are  expected  to  devote 
their  exclusive  attention  to  that  branch  of  science  which  has  been 
more  immediately  the  subject  of  their  investigation,  is  the  number 
of  departments  to  which  principals  have  been  appointed  too  great  ? 
You  say  that  such  is  the  case  ;  but  the  reply  is  conclusive  that 
this  division  has  been  made  in  accordance  with  the  suggestions  of 
persons  of  the  first  scientific  attainments  ;  and  that  there  is  no  one 
of  the  departments  which  is  not  considered  to  be  of  suflficient  im- 
portance to  form  a  science  of  itself,  and  to  have  professors  during 
their  whole  lives  solely  devoted  to  its  cultivation  ! 

Fourthly.  In  the  appointment  of  a  meteorologist  and  mechan- 
ical philosopher,  not  merely  to  make  barometrical  and  ihermomct- 
rical  experiments,  but  an  individual  uniting  a  tliorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  properties  of  matter  with  a  capacity  for  acute  original 
research. 

Fifthly.  In  zoology.  Here,  instead  of  a  single  zoologist,  with 
four  or  five  assistants,  aide  naturalistes,  the  respective  branches 
are  allotted  to  diflferent  naturalists,  each  of  whom,  however  indus- 
trious, has  an  ample  field  for  his  labours.  The  zoologists,  there- 
fore, will  not  be  merely  collectors  sent  out  to  grasp  up  animals 
and  preserve  specimens  for  home  inspection  and  dissertation, 
but  men  of  high  ac(|uiretnenls  sent  out  to  siudv  the  organic  world 
alive.  Zoolocry,  in  addition  to  that  of  the  animal  world,  includes 
the  physical  history  of  the  varied  tribes  of  man.  It  is  to  zoology 
chiefly  that  anatomy  is  now  looking  for  light ;  and  many  animals, 


LETTERS    OF  A    CITIZEN.  1 2T 

hitherto  only  known  through  the  medium  of  books,  may  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  anatomist  during  the  contemplated  voyage.  The 
variety  in  the  structure  of  living  beings  is  immense  ;  almost  every 
distinct  creature  having  some  peculiarity  of  orgaiuzalion,  and  af- 
fording opportunities  to  elicit  truth.  'I'he  same  zoological  laws 
influence  ourselves  and  the  meanest  insect ;  and  the  muscle  which 
moves  a  finger  at  our  wish,  we  know  not  by  what  secret  connex- 
ion between  will  and  motion,  acts  from  the  same  cause  as  does 
that  which  controls  the  foot  of  a  fly. 

From  a  corps  organized  on  the  present  plan  great  accuracy  of 
research  may  be  expected.  Such  has  not  been  uniformly  the  re- 
sult of  expeditions  despatched  to  the  Pacific,  nominally  for  scien- 
tific purposes,  by  the  "  maritime  powers  of  Europe."  With  the 
facilities  which  the  men  of  science  attached  to  this  expediiion  are 
afl'orded  in  their  preparation,  and,  more  than  all,  from  the  princi- 
ple of  the  division  of  labour  that  has  been  adopted,  a  decided  im- 
provement, even  on  "  the  most  successful  of  the  expeditions  sent 
out  by  the  maritime  powers  of  Europe,^''  may  be  fairly  anticipated  ; 
and  this,  you  will  find,  the  learned  on  the  other  side  of  the  water 
will  not  hesitate  to  acknowledge.  Divided  as  their  labours  are, 
they  will  be  able  to  go  over  their  ground  thoroughly,  and  to  glean 
all  possible  information  on  every  subject  which  comes  within  the 
scope  of  their  researches.  Sir,  would  it  not  be  honourable  to  our 
national  character  if  the  observations  and  collections  made  through 
the  agency  of  our  own  naval  and  scientific  intelligence  should  be 
distinguished  above  all  others  by  their  accuracy  and  complete- 
ness ;  and  if,  when  any  doubt  was  raised  concerning  the  position, 
natural  history,  or  language  of  any  island,  an  appeal  to  the  records 
of  the  South  Sea  exploring  expedition  should  be  sufficient  to  set 
the  question  at  rest?  Sir,  the  man  is  to  be  pitied  who  could  not 
find  more  pleasure  in  the  contemplation  of  such  results  tlian  in 
darkly  brooding  over  the  ways  and  means  by  which  he  might 
prevent  them  ;  but,  while  he  is  to  be  regarded  with  commiser- 
ation for  his  want  of  sympathy  with  noble  impulses,  I  think  you 
will  own  that  the  power  to  crush  or  cripple  their  designs  should 
be  taken  from  him. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  number  and  qualifications  of  the  members 
of  the  civil  corps,  as  well  as  of  the  apportionment  of  their  duties. 
I  would  now  say  a  word  in  reference  to  the  preparations  they  have 


128  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

made.  Tliis  is  the  more  necessary,  as  you  are  at  present  throw- 
ing, or  striving  to  throw,  discredit  upon  tlie  undertaking,  by  rep- 
robating these  prehminanes  as  extravagant.  I  know  thtit  you  do 
not  pursue  this  plan  on  all  occasions  ;  but  at  the  time  and  place, 
and  in  the  presence  of  persons,  when,  where,  and  on  whom  you 
think  it  will  produce  the  most  effect. 

You  stated,  in  a  report  to  Congress  in  February  last,  that  "  all 
the  books,  instruments^  and  charts  necessarij  for  any  scientific  eoc- 
peditioii  had  been  procured  ;^^  though,  in  your  present  report,  you 
are  obliged  to  own  that  "  it  ivas  necessary^''  (after  the  date  of  that 
assertion)  ''to  procure  a  great  variety  of  articles  for  the  gentle- 
men of  the  scientific  corps."  On  the  29lh  of  August  and  12lh  of 
October  you  placed  money  in  the  hands  of  Commodore  Jones, 
as  also,  to  a  small  amount,  in  the  hands  of  two  members  of  the 
corps,  and  then  told  us  that  "  this  unusual  course  was  adopted 
that  there  might  be  no  delay  in  the  sailing  of  the  expedition^ 
What  mockery,  I  had  aliv.cf't  <z:'i.  'vhat  trifling  with  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  country,  is  this  flimsy  justification  of  your  tardiness 
of  action  !  If  you  had  put  this  fund  into  the  hands  of  Commo- 
dore Jones  in  October,  1836,  instead  of  October,  1837,  and  in 
other  respects  performed  your  duty,  you  might  have  been  indulged 
in  speaking  of  your  "unusual  course"  to  prevent  "delay  in  the 
sailing  of  the  expedition." 

You  were  at  Pliiladelphia  in  July  last,  and,  by  appointment, 
met  a  portion  of  the  members  of  the  corps  in  the  hall  of  the 
"  American  Philosophical  Society."  A  number  of  scientific  gen- 
tlemen besides  the  corps  attended.  You  then  found  that,  so  far 
from  everything  necessary  having  been  procured,  as  slated  in 
your  report  of  February  last,  almost  every  requisite  was  still 
wanting  ;  and  this,  be  it  remembered,  was  fifteen  months  after 
the  authorization  of  the  measure  by  Congress.  You  were  liberal, 
however,  in  your  expressions  at  that  interview,  and  said  you 
wished  the  corps  to  have  a  full  supply  of  every  necessary  article, 
and  even  "  a  little  more."  Fortunately  for  the  defence  of  this 
portion  of  the  enterprise,  the  parties  concerned  were  not  the  sole 
judges  of  what  was  required  for  their  use  in  books,  instruments, 
and  other  appliances.  A  commission  of  six  distiniruishod  mem- 
bers of  the  "  American  Philosophical  Society  of  Philadelphia" 
was  organized  to  examine  into  and  judge  of  the  propriety  and 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZE^f.  129 

Utility  of  the  requisitions  made  by  the  members  of  the  corps,  each 
for  his  own  department.  This  commission  consisted  of  the  fol- 
lowing gentlemen,  whom  to  name  is  to  guaranty  that  whatever 
they  approved  was  correct:  Peter  S.  Duponceau,  Chairman, 
Professor  Robert  M.  Patterson,  Director  of  the  Mint,  John  K» 
Kane,  Esq.,  Clement  C.  Biddle,  Esq.,  Professor  Henry  C.  Vet- 
hake,  and  George  Ord,  Esq.  This  commission  devoted  its  time 
to  a  careful  and  rigid  investigation  of  every  requisition  made  by 
the  corps  ;  conferred  with  the  members  of  the  latter  ;  and,  finally, 
approved  every  purchase  or  preparation  of  consequence  which 
had  been  made  ;  and,  without  its  sanction,  nothing  agreed  upon 
by  the  individuals  of  the  corps  themselves  was  conceded  by  your 
department.  Nobly,  sir,  did  the  commission  meet  and  discharge 
the  duties  which  a  devotion  to  the  interest  of  science,  and  a  pride 
in  what  the  country  was  about  to  do,  could  alone  have  induced 
them  to  assume.  They  exhibited  no  narrow  views,  but  were 
liberal,  though  not  too  much  so;  and  in  the  result  of  their  exami- 
nation the  country  has  every  security  for  the  fitness  of  the  or- 
ganization which  has  been  adopted  and  of  the  preparations  made. 
It  was,  of  course,  to  be  expected  that,  in  constructing  the  plan 
of  an  enterprise  so  extensive  and  so  important,  some  imperfec- 
tions of  detail  would  unavoidably  occur;  but  I  think  I  shall  be 
able  to  show,  in  my  next  letter,  that  a  comparison  with  the 
"  most  successful  expeditions  sent  out  by  the  maritime  powers 
of  Europe"  will  demonstrate,  that  any  attempt  to  reduce  its  num- 
bers or  alter  its  organization  would  be  the  most  direct  mode  of 
greatly  impairing  its  usefulness,  if  not  of  rendering  it  a  nonentity. 
During  the  long  period  which  has  elapsed  since  the  appointment 
of  the  scientific  attachees,  each  has  naturally  applied  himself  to  a 
preparation  for  his  particular  division  of  art  or  science  ;  and  has 
collected  books,  procured  instruments,  and  pursued  studies,  hav- 
ing exclusive  reference  to  his  designated  duties.  To  break  up  the 
corps  now,  when  those  composing  it  have  made  their  arrange- 
ments for  a  long  absence,  and  laid  in  their  slock  of  clothing  and 
sea  stores,  would  be  not  merely  to  frustrate  many  and  well- 
founded  hopes,  but  to  subject  these  gentlemen,  in  addition  to  what 
they  have  already  suffered,  to  serious  pecuniary  loss.  Such  a 
course  would  be,  in  fact,  a  flagrant  breach  of  faith  ;  and  yet,  sir, 
you  know  that  what  you  are  now  labouring  to  etfect  would  pro- 

R 


130  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEW. 

duce,  should  you  succeed,  this  very  end.  Do  you  disclaim  the 
intention  ?  We  shall  see  the  value  of  tlie  disclaimer  by  showing, 
in  the  first  place,  the  adaptation  of  the  present  force  to  the  labours 
to  be  performed  ;  and  thcii  that  the  reduction  you  are  urging  will 
derange,  if  not  preclude,  all  faithful  and  accurate  research. 

The  arrangements  for  tlie  accommodation  of  the  corps  in  the 
Macedonian  are  now  fully  completed,  and  will,  in  every  respect^ 
enable  its  members  to  pursue  their  avoca^ons  without  interfering 
with  the  necessary  discipline  of  the  vessel  or  mfringing  on  the 
convenience  of  any  other  persons  on  board.  All  the  officers  of 
the  ship,  whether  of  the  wardroom,  the  steerage,  or  the  cockpit, 
occupy  unencumbered  the  accommodations  usually  allotted  to 
them  in  a  frigate.  Commodore  Jones  caused  a  cabin  to  be  con- 
structed for  his  use  on  the  spardeck,  resigning  the  one  usually 
occupied  by  him  on  the  gundeck  to  the  sole  possession  of  the 
corps.  It  has  been  fitted  up  for  their  reception,  and  they  have 
all  fixed  upon  their  respective  rooms  ;  each  having  ample  space 
for  convenience  and  comfort.  There  they  have  space  for  their 
library,  which  comprises  at  least  one  thousand  volumes,  rare  and 
valuable  works  on  the  whole  range  of  the  sciences  in  octavoes, 
quartoes,  and  folios  ;  for  their  instruments  ;  and  for  the  pursuit  of 
their  investigations  ;  and  there,  also,  do  the  artists  find  suitable 
facilities,  as  regards  location  and  light,  for  the  most  delicate  de- 
lineations of  the  pencil.  On  board  the  frigate,  with  all  these  ad- 
vantages, would  the  whole  corps  be  accommodated  during  the 
transit  from  the  United  States  to  the  field  of  their  active  labours. 
Suppose,  then,  in  reference  to  these  labours,  as  I  did  with  regard 
to  those  of  the  hydrographers,  that  the  squadron  had  arrived  at 
the  group  already  mentioned  when  speaking  of  the  latter  ;  for 
ihe  same  illustration  which  applies  in  one  case  will  hold  good 
equally  in  all  others.  The  frigate  has  come  to  anchor  at  Nave- 
hetevoo,  where  she  will  lie  say  a  month  before  sailing  for  another 
station.  Tliis  would  give  to  the  philologist  leisure  to  pursue  his 
studios.  A  station  would  be  taken  on  shore  where  magnciic  and 
pendulum  observations  would  be  made,  for  without  such  a  facility 
they  could  not  be  carried  on.  The  presence  of  the  frigate  would 
give  safety  to  the  comuuuiications  with  the  shore.  The  botanist, 
the  entomologist,  would,  under  proper  escort,  proceed  to  the  inte- 
rior, and  the  productions  of  the  siiore,  the  valleys,  and  the  mount- 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  131 

ains  would  come  under  their  cognizance.  This  plan  of  visiting 
the  interior  opens  a  rich  field  to  science ;  one  that  has  been  but 
scantily  occupied  and  superficially  examined  by  expeditions  ori- 
ginating with  the  "  maritime  powers  of  Europe."  Islands  thus 
explored  would,  if  even  two  of  them  should  be  found  clothed  with 
sandal  wood  (to  say  nothing  of  other  articles  of  traffic  which 
have  already  entered  largely  into  our  commerce  with  the  Pacific), 
repay  to  the  nation  the  entire  cost  of  the  expedition.  The  physi- 
cal force  always  at  hand  would  perpetually  facilitate  research  in 
every  branch.  The  same  boats  used  in  surveying  the  harbour  of 
an  island  would  serve  to  debark  the  naturalists  on  its  shores  ;  and 
the  same  force  which  would  be  required  by  the  commander  in 
his  intercourse  with  the  natives  could  likewise  protect  the  civil- 
ians in  the  performance  of  their  several  duties  ;  while  the  com- 
pleteness with  which  the  corps  is  organized  would  enable  its 
members  to  pursue  their  researches  with  rapidity,  and  make  their 
calculations  without  delaying  the  expedition  for  any  length  of 
time ;  so  that  the  period  required  for  scientific  researches  at  the 
largest  islands  would  suit  exactly  that  necessary  for  the  move- 
ments of  the  frigate  while  directing  the  hydrographical  surveys. 
But  still  more.  One  decided  advantage  in  the  scale  upon  which 
this  corps  is  formed,  and  which  gives  it  a  superiority  over  most 
others  hitherto  sent  out,  is,  that  it  is  constituted  of  men  more 
capable  of  taking  charge  of  separate  departments.  Instead  of 
being  merely  a  body  of  collectors,  acting  under  one  or  two  heads, 
here  each  savan  has  his  favourite  division  ;  while  possessing,  at 
the  same  time,  more  or  less  knowledge  of  the  branches  consigned 
to  his  companions.  This  will  enable  the  men  of  science  to  adopt 
a  perfect  system  of  reciprocity.  The  botanist,  while  plucking  a 
flower,  would  not  overlook  the  insect  feeding  upon  it ;  because 
the  entomologist  would  repay  the  courtesy  by  gathering  for  him  a 
plant ;  and  each  would  be  able  to  give  to  the  other  all  requisite 
information  of  their  respective  localities.  This  system  would  be 
carried  out,  in  like  manner,  with  all  the  rest.  All  ground  for  jeal- 
ousy would  be  removed  by  this  division  of  labour ;  each  member 
must  stand  or  fall  in  accordance  with  his  industry  and  ability,  or 
his  want  of  these  qualities  in  his  own  department.  An  addiliona. 
inducement  for  reciprocal  services  exists  in  the  fact,  that  all  which 
any  one  can  do  to  assist  his  companions  will  be  more  than  repaid 


132  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN, 

by  what  ihey  can,  conjointly,  do  for  hira.  Thus  the  individuaU 
of  the  corps  may  separate,  as  occasion  shall  require,  and  a  part  of 
ihem  accompany  the  small  vessels  in  their  exploring  excursions ) 
bringing,  by  these  means,  all  portions  of  a  group  or  island  under 
observation  and  contribution  ;  while  such  researches  as  cannot 
be  made  without  spending  considerable  lime  at  a  single  spot  will 
always  be  the  province  of  those  on  board  the  frigate,  which  ves- 
sel will  constitute  the  floating  friendly  port  and  homestead  of  all. 
To  her  all  would  return  when  the  desired  objects  at  any  particu- 
lar station  had  been  attained.  The  hydrographer  (and,  in  fact, 
every  officer  would  be  a  member  of  the  hydrographical  corps) 
would  carefully  analyze  and  arrange  the  materials  gathered  in 
each  survey,  and  consecutively  imbody  them  in  one  continuous 
chart ;  while  the  commander,  after  having  directed  all  these  varied 
employments,  would  see  that  the  resuhs  were  clearly  and  faith- 
fully recorded,  so  that  they  should,  through  all  coming  time, 
prove  a  guide  to  the  mariner  who  followed  in  his  track.  The 
corps,  laden  with  treasures  from  every  portion  of  the  group  which 
they  had  separated  to  examine,  would  again  meet  on  board  the 
frigate,  from  which  they  might,  some  of  them,  have  been  absent 
for  several  months.  Here,  without  incommoding  others,  or  being 
themselves  incommoded,  with  the  appliances  of  an  ample  library, 
the  use  of  instruments,  and  the  assistance  of  artists,  everything 
could  be  analyzed  and  delineated,  to  be  afterward  labelled  and 
carefully  preserved  ;  for  all  which  operations  there  would  be  a 
sufficiency  of  room.  Thus,  sir,  it  is  apparent  that  no  less  to  the 
success  of  scientific  inquiry  than  to  the  proper  accomplishment  of 
the  great  objects  of  survey,  friendly  intercourse  with  the  natives, 
and  the  protection  of  our  commercial  interests,  is  the  frigate  in- 
dispensable, Witliout  her  the  expedition  may  be  sent  out,  but  it 
will  reflect  comparatively  little  honour  on  the  senders. 

If  rumour  speak  true,  your  recent  commission,  consisting  of 
Commodores  Hull,  Biddle,  and  Captain  Aulick,  without  having 
visited  the  squadron,  and  certainly  without  having  had  much  time 
to  examine  the  real  purposes  of  the  enterprise,  have  given  a  re- 
port which  pleases  you  ;  inasmuch  as  it  is  said  to  recommend  the 
substitution  of  the  sloop-of-war  Peacock  for  the  Macedonian,  and 
a  diminution  in  the  muiiber  of  minor  vessels.  I  cast  no  censure 
upon  this  board,  not  having  seen  the  instructions   under  which 


I 


LETTERS    OF    A  CITIZEN.  133 

ihey  acted.  For  the  sake  of  illustration,  let  it  be  supposed  that 
you  succeed  in  your  plans,  and  connnrience  a  reorganization. 
The  Peacock  is  a  second-class  sloop.  Her  wardroom  will 
scarcely  accommodate  her  officers,  and  the  cabin  on  her  gundeck 
is,  of  course,  appropriated  to  her  commander.  Where  will  you 
put  the  gentlemen  of  the  corps  ?  Where  will  they  eat  ?  Where 
will  they  i^leep  ?  Their  library,  their  instruments,  their  stores — 
where  arc  these  to  be  stowed  away  ?  Their  studies — in  what 
portion  of  the  vessel  are  they  to  be  carried  on  ?  Where  do  you 
design  the  artists  should  work  ?  Sir,  it  is  idle  to  discuss  the 
point ;  what  you  are  now  trying  to  do  will  break  up  the  scientific 
association,  and  you  know  that  such  is  its  tendency,  that  such  will 
be  its  issue.  By  crowding  the  savans  on  board  the  several  ves- 
sels you  interfere  with  the  limited  space  and  comforts  of  the 
watdi-cfficer ;  and  feeling  this  to  be  the  case,  their  usefulness 
would  be  destroyed.  Then,  with  professions  of  extreme  regret^ 
you  will  say  their  numbers  must  be  reduced.  Can  you  reduce 
ihem  without  making  their  labours  a  mockery  ?  Can  you  do  it 
without  blasting  the  hopes,  and  trampling  on  the  pride  and  just 
expectations  of  the  country  ?  Let  us  see,  sir,  how  your  reduc- 
tions are  to  be  made.  Take  up  the  list,  and  begin,  to  you,  the 
welcome  task  ! 

First,  the  philologist :  will  you  dismiss  his  name  from  the  cat- 
aloo-ue  ?  "  Every  new  language  is  a  new  development  of  the 
human  mind."  If  the  great  study  of  mankind  be  man,  surely  his 
most  remarkable  attribute — speech — should  not  be  neglected. 
The  science  of  linguistics,  or  comparative  philology,  has  received 
marked  attention,  and  is  held  in  the  highest  estimation  in  this 
country  among  men  of  gifted  minds,  if  such  individuals  as  Du- 
ponceau,  Antlion,  Galatin,  Gibbs,  Pickering,  Webster,  and  others 
of  high  attainments  are  entitled  to  that  distinction ;  while  in  Eu- 
rope, and  especially  in  Germany,  it  receives  the  exclusive  devo- 
tion of  some  of  the  most  learned  men  of  the  age.  Wonderful 
results  have  attended  the  progress  of  this  comparatively  recent 
science,  and  still  more  astonishing  developments  may  be  expected. 
It  travels  back  to  remote  ages,  far  beyond  the  date  of  authentic 
history,  and  shows  the  affinity  among  the  various  tribes  of  our 
race,  however  they  may  be  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  globe. 
Indeed,  by  this  science  alone  can  the  early  migrations  of  man  be 


134  LFTTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

traced.  How  glorious,  then,  for  this  country  to  be  the  first  to  ex- 
tend her  inquiries  in  this  deeply  interesting  department  of  human 
knowledge  among  the  groups  of  the  Pacific.  But  I  must  con- 
clude my  remarks  upon  this  very  interesting  theme.  Sir,  you 
cannot  dismiss  the  philologist  ! 

In  the  department  of  natural  philosophy  or  physical  science  there 
is  but  one  individual,  and,  of  course,  he  cannot  be  dispensed  with. 

Chymistry,  mineralogy,  and  zoology,  including  organic  remains, 
will  surely  be  allowed  to  afford  ample  scope  for  two,  when  it  is 
remembered  that  several  professors  find  more  than  they  can  do 
in  this  branch  within  the  limits  of  a  small  state,  though  industri- 
ously employed  for  years. 

Your  own  attainments  in  botany,  so  often  made  manifest  in 
descanting  on  the  flowers  of  a  bouquet  when  in  the  hands  of 
youth  and  beauty,  will,  I  am  sure,  secure  to  the  expedition  the 
botanist  and  his  assistant. 

The  department  of  zoology  is  well  and  ably  filled  by  four  nat- 
uralists, exclusive  of  the  comparative  anatomist.  Pause  and  re- 
flect, sir,  before  you  make  war  on  this  division.  Remember  that 
zoology  has  ever  been  a  leading  object  in  scientific  voyages.  Look 
at  Cuvier  ;  examine  his  labours  well ;  and  you  will  find  that,  vast 
and  comprehensive  as  v/ere  the  researches  of  that  great  zoologist, 
he  yet  confined  himself  to  but  a  portion  of  animated  nature.  Your 
'*  naturalists,"  your  "  scientific  men,"  often  have  been  exclusively 
zoologists,  and,  in  most  instances,  the  number  of  professed  zoolo- 
gists sent  out  by  the  "  maritime  powers  of  Europe"  has  been 
confessedly  too  small.  The  science  is  that  of  life,  and  the  most 
valuable  observations  are  drawn  from  life.  The  members  of  this 
great  division  will  find,  during  the  voyage,  more,  vastly  more,  than 
they  can  perform,  in  observing  the  living  world.  Vain  and  pre- 
sumptuous would  be  that  man,  therefore,  who  would  at  this  day 
undertake  all  the  branches  of  zoology.  Such  a  man  might  make 
collections  for  a  museum  ;  bring  back  specimens  ;  remnants  of 
death  for  the  inspection  of  closet  philosophers  ;  but  the  vastness 
of  his  undertaking  would  place  him,  in  the  scale  of  natural- 
ists, about  where  a  pedler  of  Brandrcth's  pills  might  be  supposed 
to  take  rank  among  regular  physicians.  How,  then,  can  you 
cut  down  in  this  division  ?  Answer,  not  to  me,  but  to  your  coun- 
try, whose  glory  you  would  mar. 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  135 

Of  the  artists  I  have  before  spoken.  Their  number  should  be 
augmented  rather  than  curtailed.  Numerous  specimens  in  botany, 
a  vast  variety  offish  and  other  objects,  will  require  delineation  at 
every  rendezvous  before  they  shall  have  changed  their  natural 
slate ;  and  there  should  be  no  delay  in  these  matters.  Twelve 
thousand  dollars  would  employ  two  more  artists  during  the  voy- 
age, and  it  would  be  economy  to  engage  their  services.  Surely, 
then,  you  will  not  lay  hands  on  the  fine  arts  ! 

Thus  you  see,  sir,  that  in  every  form  and  aspect  in  which  the 
subject  can  be  reviewed,  the  rationale  and  argument  are  in  favour 
of  the  frigate  and  other  vessels  as  now  prepared.  Equally  appa- 
rent is  it  that  the  alterations  you  are  now  urging  are  virtually 
destructive  to  the  entire  enterprise.  Razeed  as  you  propose,  it 
would  not  meet  public  expectation,  and  the  nation  could  feci  but 
liiile  pride  in  it.  It  would  fall  short  of  what  some  of  our  state 
governments,  even  those  most  adverse  to  expenditure,  are  now 
doing  by  the  employment  of  men  of  science,  with  large  salaries, 
in  examining  the  natural  history  and  geology  of  their  respective 
territories ;  and  it  is  well  known  that,  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view, 
those  governments  have  been  repaid  a  hundred  fold  for  their 
outlay. 

Sir,  in  your  report  to  the  president  in  December,  1836,  you  ac- 
knowledged that  the  "  indications  of  public  opinion"  were  in  favour 
of  the  expedition  being  prepared  and  sent  out  on  an  efficient  and 
liberal  scale.  I  put  the  question  to  you  direct ;  has  there  been 
any  change  in  the  "indications  of  public  opinion"  since  that  time? 
Among  the  journals  of  the  country,  all  of  which  have  appeared  to 
meet  upon  this  point  as  upon  common  ground,  few,  if  any,  have 
expressed  dissatisfaction  at  the  original  arrangement. 

The  most  distinguished  societies,  literary  and  scientific,  in  the 
United  States,  have  not  only  manifested  increased  interest  in  its 
complete  preparation  and  opposed  its  curtailment,  but  have  thrown 
open  their  libraries  for  the  use  of  the  expedition,  offering  the  use 
of  any  books  upon  their  shelves.  Foreign  societies,  both  in  pri- 
vate correspondence  and  by  public  resolutions,  have  expressed,  in 
the  strongest  manner,  their  anticipations  of  the  benefits  to  be  gath- 
ered from  its  researches. 

Indeed,  not  only  our  own  country,  but  the  nations  of  Europe, 
would  hear  of  a  determination  to  reduce  the  naval  force  of  the  enter- 


136  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

prise,  and  the  number  of  its  scientific  observers,  willi  equal  surprise 
and  derision.  They  would  recollect  that,  forty  years  ago,  France, 
with  her  finances  disordered  and  energies  apparently  taxed  to  the 
utmost  by  a  long  and  expensive  war,  and  England,  when  similarly- 
situated,  both  sent  out  splendid  expeditions  of  discovery.  The 
former  detailed  a  numerous  corps  of  savans,  which  accompanied 
the  memorable  army  of  Egypt,  requiring  that  particular  alieniion 
should  be  paid  to  facilitating  their  labours. 

They  will  remember,  moreover,  that  whatever  the  military  re- 
nown which  was  reaped  by  France  on  the  Egyptian  plains,  it  was 
not  greater  or  more  imperishable  than  that  which  accrued  from  the 
investigations  of  its  scientific  attachees  into  the  natural  history,  the 
topography,  the  antiquities  of  the  country.  With  these  reminis- 
cences they  would  be  excusable  in  receiving  the  news  of  such  an 
unjustifiable  sacrifice  as  that  proposed,  though  urged  on  the  plea 
of  economy  (after  the  whole  expense  of  preparation  had  been  in- 
curred), with  feelings  as  much  akin  to  contempt  as  astonishment. 

In  my  next  I  will  hold  you  to  a  comparison  of  this  expedition 
with  what  "  the  maritime  powers  of  Europe  have  done  ;"  and  will 
show  that,  if  the  naval  appropriation  for  1838  must  be  reduced, 
the  exploring  squadron  is  the  last  object  to  which,  if  we  have  a 
due  regard  for  our  interest  and  honour,  that  reduction  should  be 
suflfered  to  apply. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be. 

Very  respectfully,  your  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

N«w-York»  January  1,  1838 


XII. 

To  the  Honourable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sir, 
Had  you  been  more  specific  in  your  frequent  allusions  to  the 
expeditions  sent  out  by  the  maritime  powers  of  Europe,  from  be- 
hind the  models  of  which  you  so  frequently  assail  the  arrange- 
ments made  for  the  first  similar  enterprise  from  this  country,  it 
iiad  been  a  much  easier  task  to  meet  and   confute   vou ;  it  had 


LETTERS    OF   A    CITIZEN.  197 

been  a  task,  also,  much  more  concisely  performed.  Sir,  had  you 
looked  at  your  counirymen  in  all  llinl  belongs  to  iheir  history, 
you  had  learned  thai  in  all  things  wherein  they  have  been  distin- 
guished, in  every  undertaking  in  which  they  have  been  most  suc- 
cessful, tiiey  have  been  anything  but  servile  imitators  of  the  na- 
tions of  Europe,  in  tlie  quo  modo  of  their  actions.  They  did  not 
study  foreign  models  (except  lo  improve  upon  tliem)  in  framing  their 
institutions,  nor  in  subduing  the  forest  and  turning  ihe  wilderness 
into  the  abode  of  civilized  man  ;  nor  in  their  steam-navigation 
and  mechanical  agents  ;  nor,  above  all,  in  their  ship-building  and 
commercial  enterprise.  Our  people,  though  the  last  to  enter  the 
Pacific,  have  been  chained  down  by  no  precedent  in  tlieir  move- 
ments there,  but  have  pushed  their  ocean  business  in  that  (piarler 
far  beyond  that  of  all  oilier  nations.  Before  you  urge  as  authority 
what  the  maritime  powers  of  Europe  have  done,  it  is  incumbent 
on  you  lo  show  that  these  powers  had  equal  interests  afloat  to  be 
protected  and  extended  ;  that  the  motives  which  prompted  their 
efforts  were  the  same  and  as  imperative  as  those  which  have  pro- 
duced action  in  our  own  government;  and,  unless  this  can  be 
shown,  it  is  idle  to  talk  about  models.  The  force  lo  be  employed 
in  any  enterprise  should  be  regulated  by  the  consideration  of  what 
that  force  is  designated  to  perform. 

The  exposition  to  which  I  have  alluded  I  might,  wiih  propriety 
and  justice,  require  ;  but,  not  supposing  you  would  find  it  conve- 
nient to  give  it,  I  waive  my  right  to  interrogate  you  on  this  point, 
and  proceed  to  show  how  little,  in  all  probability,  you  know  in 
detail  of  the  expeditions  to  which  we  are  so  triumphantly  referred 
as  patterns  for  our  own. 

Most  of  the  early  expeditions  to  the  Pacific  were  despatched 
there  rather  to  plunder  the  Spanish  settlements  and  to  make  con- 
quests  than  for  the  purposes  of  discovery.  They  originated  in 
high  daring  and  an  ardent  thirst  for  adventure.  But  I  presume 
you  will  not  hold  them  up  as  models  at  this  day,  unless,  indeed, 
your  statement,  that  the  officers  of  our  navy  entered  the  sei-vice 
ivith  a  view  to  distinguishing  themselves  by  deeds  of  arms,  hinted 
at  their  emulating  the  forays  of  the  bucaniers,  in  preference  to 
the  more  peaceful  exploits  of  modern  discoverers.  There  are, 
then,  but  comparatively  few  enterprises  of  discovery  with  which 
1  need  stop  to  institute  comparisons.     I  will  take  those  of  most 


138  LETTEHS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  * 

celebrity.  As  regards  the  English  expeditions,  I  need  not  go  far- 
ther back  than  that  of  Cook  ;  and,  among  the  French,  to  that  of 
Dentrecasteaux.  Of  what,  sir,  did  the  latter  consist,  and  what 
were  the  objects  it  was  fitted  out  to  attain  ? 

In  1781,  as  no  news  had  been  received  of  La  Peyrouse  for  three 
years,  "  the  National  Assenribly  decreed  that  the  king  should  be 
desired  to  arm  one  or  several  vessels,  in  which  should  be  embarked 
scientific  men  (savans),  naturalists  and  draughtsmen,  and  to  give 
llie  commander  the  double  mission  of  searching  for  La  Peyrouse, 
and  making,  at  the  same  time,  researches  relative  to  the  sciences 
and  commerce;  in  taking  all  measures  in  rendering  that  expedi- 
tion, independent  of  the  primary  object,  useful  and  advantageous 
to  navigation,  geography,  commerce,  and  the  arts  and  sciences." 

Nothing  like  general  exploration  entered  into  the  plans  of  this 
voyage,  and  yet  Dentrecasteaux  required  of  the  government  two 
vessels  of  five  hundred  tons  each.  In  this  mission,  acquisitions  in 
geography,  commerce,  navigation,  and  the  arts  and  sciences,  were 
secondary  objects;  and  yet  there  were  attached  to  these  vessels 
two  astroriomers,  two  hydrograpliers,  five  naturalists,  two  garden- 
ers, and  two  painters.  Comparing,  then,  the  limited  range  marked 
out  for  that  undertaking  with  the  wide  sphere  of  our  present  en- 
terprise, and  contrasting  the  necessary  minuteness  in  scientific 
rescHrch  at  this  day  with  the  far  inferior  accuracy  which  con- 
sisted with  the  state  of  science  then,  you  will  find  that,  as  re- 
gards both  naval  force  and  the  number  of  scientific  observers, 
you  are  totally  unsustained  in  your  position ;  nay,  that  you  must 
add  to  rather  than  subtract  from  the  force  of  the  expedition  as 
already  organized. 

Come,  sir,  let  us  proceed  with  the  comparisons  you  have  pro- 
voked, and  prepare  to  stand  or  fall  by  the  issue.  You  have  used 
the  words  "  recent  voyages,"  and,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  I  will 
come  down  to  them.  The  voyage  of  Captain  Frevcinet  in  the 
Unanie,  from  1817  to  1820,  has  been  greatly  and  very  justly  cele- 
brated. He  had  a  corvette  of  twenty  guns,  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  besides  officers.  Here  is  a  model  that  suits  you  ; 
one  to  which  you  have  impliedly  referred  Congress  in  justification 
of  your  present  course ;  yet  you  might,  with  about  as  much  pro« 
priety,  have  cited  the  equipment  of  Lewis  and  Clark  for  their  ex- 
cursion over  the  Kocky  Mountains  as  a  pattern  to  be  followed  in 


LETTERS    OP    A    CITIZEN.  139 

this  expedition.  Would  you  send  the  same  force  to  fight  the 
King  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  as  you  would  to  hunrible  the  Bar- 
bary  powers?  Certainly  not.  And  why?  Because  what  was 
amply  sufficient  for  the  one  object  would  be  totally  inadequate 
to  the  other.  Very  good.  Now  let  us  see,  sir,  what  object  the 
French  government  had  in  view  which  Captain  Freycinet  was 
despatched  in  a  single  corvette  to  effect. 

"The  principal  object  of  the  voyage,"  says  Arago,  "was  to 
ascertain  the  figure  of  the  globe  by  pendulum  experimcnls,  and 
the  elements  of  terrestrial  magnetism  ;  several  questions  in  me- 
teorology had  also  been  indicated  by  the  academy  very  worthy  of 
attention." 

Freycinet  himself  superintended  the  pendulum  experiments, 
assisted  by  ten  out  of  seventeen  of  his  officers;  and  during  ihe 
whole  voyage  not  a  single  series  of  observations  was  made  in 
which  he  did  not  take  the  principal  share.  Thermometrical  and 
hygrometrical  observations  were  made  hourly  both  by  day  and 
night;  examinations  of  the  barometer  every  two  hours;  and,  at 
the  same  intervals,  of  the  temperature  of  the  sea.  Tn  the  first 
chapter  of  the  narrative  Freycinet  says  :  "  Our  expedition  is,  I 
think,  the  first  maritime  voyage  which,  being  destined  to  the 
progress  of  human  knowledge,  has  not  had  hydrography  for  its 
object.  The  determination  of  the  form  of  the  globe  in  the  south- 
ern hemisphere,  the  observation  of  magnetic  and  meteorological 
phenomena,  finally,  the  study  of  the  three  kingdoms  of  Nature, 
formed  the  principal  object  of  the  mission." 

Thus  you  perceive,  sir,  that  in  this  French  expedition  hydrog- 
raphy was  even  less  than  a  secondary  object,  while  in  the  Ameri- 
can it  is  one  of  the  most  prominent.  In  the  former,  the  protec- 
tion of  commerce,  the  rescue  of  shipwrecked  mariners,  the  survey 
of  important  groups,  islands,  and  harbours,  were  altogether  minor 
considerations;  indeed,  were  not  even  named  ;  while  these  consti- 
tute important  provinces  of  the  latter,  and  have  been  especially 
prayed  for  in  the  memorials,  upon  the  representations  of  which 
Congress  has  based  its  action.  Do  not  these  facts  show  the  ab- 
surdity of  attempting  to  draw  a  parallel  between  the  two  under- 
takings, and  of  endeavouring  to  make  the  scale  of  one  an  argu- 
ment for  the  reduction  of  the  other  ?  To  Freycinet  was  granted 
the  entire  selection  of  his  own  officers.     How  will  your  conduct 


140  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

in  this  respect  compare  with  foreign  models  ?  "  With  regard  to 
piovisions,"  says  Freycinet,  "  everything  was  allowed  that  could 
be  required,  and  extra  clothing  was  furnished  for  each  man  gratis." 

Large  quantities  of  concentrated  or  fresh  provisions  were  fur- 
nished, and  the  commander  has  shown  that  the  government  saved 
money  by  this  liberality  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  preservation  of 
health  to  which  it  was  conducive.  How  did  you  follow  this  for- 
eign model  in  reference  to  extra  clothing?  1  will  answer.  When 
the  different  rendezvous  for  the  shipment  of  seamen  for  the  ex- 
pedition were  first  opened,  wages  in  the  merchant  service  were 
high,  and  recruits  came  in  slowly.  Again  and  again  did  Commo- 
dore Jones  urge  the  necessity  of  promising  the  men  an  allowance 
of  extra  clothing,  as  well  as  the  bounty  authorized  by  Congress 
even  for  the  general  service  during  the  past  year ;  but  you  refused 
to  hold  out  the  hope  of  cither.  Finally,  however,  when,  under 
every  discouragement,  the  complement  of  men  had  at  length  been 
shipped,  you  graciously  condescended  to  allow  both. 

Making  you  perfectly  welcome  to  all  the  support  the  voyage 
of  Freycinet  can  afford  you,  I  will  now  leave  it  and  take  up 
another;  but  not  till  I  have  informed  you  that  this  commander 
lost  his  vessel  at  the  Falkland  Isles ;  from  which  extraordinary 
fact  you  will  perceive  that  a  corvette  may  be  wrecked  as  well  as 
a  frigate  ! ! 

Next  in  order  of  time  comes  the  voyage  of  Captain  Duperrey 
in  the  Coquille  in  the  years  1822,  '3,  '4,  '5,  seventy-two  persons. 
And  for  what  was  this  vessel  sent  out?  To  hold  conference  with 
the  islanders  of  the  Pacific,  protect  commercial  interest,  make 
surveys,  &c.,  &c.,  &c.,  and  to  combine  with  these  accurate  sci- 
entific research  ?  Look  at  the  work,  sir,  and  you  will  then  find 
that  the  "  objects  of  the  voyage  were  again  the  study  of  the  three 
kingdoms  of  nature,  magnetism,  meteorology,  and  some  observa- 
tions relative  to  the  determination  of  the  figure  of  the  globe."  As 
to  hydrography,  it  "  was  proposed  to  establish  or  rectify  the  posi- 
tion of  a  great  number  of  points  in  different  parts  of  the  globe." 
The  character,  language,  manners,  tVc,  of  the  islamlcrs  were  also 
to  receive  attention. 

"  To  establish  harmony,"  says  Duperry,  "we  agreed  beforehand 
to  divide  our  labours  according  to  our  predominant  tastes." 

M.  Durvillc,  Botany  and  Entomology. 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  141 

M.  Garnot,    i    „   ,  ^  ^.r         ,  tt- 

^    J  >  all  the  rest  of  rSatural  History. 

iVl .  J_iesson,   ) 

M.  Gabert,  Agent,  Commerce  and  Industry  of  the  Natives. 

M.  Lejeune,  Drauglnsman. 

M.  Duperrey,  Physic  and  Hydrography.     Seven  assistants. 

Thus,  sir,  notwithstanding  the  limited  sphere  of  action  to  which 
the  labours  of  Freycinet  and  Duperrey  were  confined,  in  compar- 
ison with  the  vastness  of  that  marked  out  for  the  South  Sea  ex- 
ploring expedition,  fifteen  persons  accompanied  the  former  and 
twelve  the  latter  commander,  who  were  engaged  directly  in  sci- 
entific researches. 

From  these  two  celebrated  voyages,  then,  you  may  learn  two 
things  :  First,  they  were  not  fitted  out  or  intended  for  the  duties 
expected  to  be  performed  by  ihe  present  enterprise  ;  and,  secondly, 
that  the  scientific  corps  were  more  numerous,  in  proportion  to  liieir 
field  of  action  and  number  of  vessels  ;  though  not  so  well  organized, 
as  regards  the  division  of  duties,  as  the  present.  In  scientific  re- 
sults the  voyage  of  Duperrey  was  decidedly  inferior  to  that  of 
Freycinet,  who  preceded  him;  and  even  were  this  government 
about  to  send  out  a  single  vessel  for  objects  precisely  similar,  the 
former  ought  not  be  selected  as  a  model.  Duperrey  had  but  a  mea- 
ger supply  of  instruments,  and  only  five  chronometers.  The 
Tiean  maximum  irregularity  of  these  chronometers  varied  no  less 
than  twenty-three  seconds  and  a  fraction  per  day.  Would  you 
liave  the  mean  maximum  irregularity  of  those  used  in  this  voyage 
to  run  thus  ?  Duperrey  made  no  experiments  on  the  temperature 
of  the  sea  at  great  depths  ;  nor  was  he  provided  with  a  single 
self-registering  thermometer.  Would  it  not  be  best  to  sell  those 
provided  for  this  expedition  unless  we  can  find  authority  for  using 
them  in  some  of  the  oiher  expeditions  sent  out  by  the  "  maritime 
powers  of  Europe  ?"  Duperrey  "  was  authorized  to  appoint  his 
own  oflficers,"  the  same  privilege  which  had  been  allowed  Frey- 
cinet.    Mark  that !  !  ! 

Captain  La  Place  made  a  pretty  little  voyage  round  the  world 
a  few  years  ago  in  the  Favourite,  of  seven  hundred  tons  and  twen- 
ty-four guns.  What  do  you  think  of  his  enterprise  as  a  model  ? 
What  did  he  do  ?  Where  did  he  go  ?  After  doubling  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  he  followed  in  the  well-known  track  of  modern 
voyagers.     He  run  down  the  African  and  Indian  Oceans,  passed 


142  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

the  Straits  of  Molaccas  and  entered  the  China  Sea,  which  he  left 
by  passing  to  the  east  of  Java,  to  the  west  and  south  of  New-Hol- 
land, and  soulii  of  Van  Diemen's  Land.  'J'hence  returning  nor- 
llicrly,  he  visited  New-Zealand,  from  which  he  sailed  by  the  nnost 
direct  route  to  Valparaiso,  and  then  proceeded  round  Cape  Horn 
and  home.  1  question  if  you  could  have  marked  out  a  route  more 
barren  of  interest  than  that  which  he  pursued.  He  took  vviih  him 
no  men  of  science,  and  gave  to  the  world  on  his  return  a  portfolio 
of  landscape  drawings  !  Would  this  modern  effort  of  one  of  the 
"  maritime  powers  of  Europe"  be  a  suitable  pattern  for  the  naval 
enterprise  of  this  country  ?  It  is  not  necessary  to  allude  to  the 
English  expeditions  and  discoveries.  Those  which  they  have  re- 
cently sent  out  under  King,  Owen,  Foster,  &-c.,  can  form  no  ex- 
amples for  this  country,  as  Captain  King  was  employed  in  sur- 
veying the  Straits  of  Magellan  and  the  east  and  west  coasts  of 
Patagonia  ;  Owen  on  the  coast  of  Africa  ;  Foster  in  making  a  few 
pendulum  observations. 

Sir,  I  will  not  pay  your  judgment  so  poor  a  compliment  as  to 
credit,  for  a  moment,  that  you  could  regard  the  expeditions  of  Ross 
and  Parry,  sent  out  for  the  sole  purpose  of  making  their  way  along 
a  frozen  coast  and  among  numerous  islands  in  the  polar  seas  to 
determine  a  single  question  in  physical  geography,  as  models  for 
this  expedition  ;  though  I  have  seen  these  same  voyages,  by  gen- 
tle implication,  held  up  for  that  purpose  in  the  report  of  a  com- 
mittee of  tiie  Naval  Lyceum  at  Brooklyn,  who  seemed  to  feel  under 
increased  responsibility  for  their  opinions  from  the  circumstance 
that  they  might  be  regarded  as  representing  something  like  three 
hundred  naval  officers  ! ! ! 

J  come  now,  sir,  to  the  last  great  effort  of  the  maritime  powers 
of  Europe,  as  given  to  the  world  in  the  voyage  of  the  Astrolabe. 
A  copy  of  this  work  was  sent  a  year  ago  by  the  French  as  a 
present  to  our  government.  It  was  a  pretty  conception,  honoura- 
ble to  the  French;  and  it  will  be  honourable  to  us  when  we  shall 
be  able  to  return  the  compliment.  How  often  has  this  voyage 
been  the  iheme  of  your  remarks'  How  oIumi,  nay,  how  con- 
stantly have  you  relied  on  this  voyage  as  a  model,  ami  as  a  justi- 
fication of  your  late  proceedings?  Ji  has  been  a  sort  of  stalking- 
liorse  for  you,  upon  which  you  have  endeavoured  to  rieie  down  the 
present  expedition.     But,  in  sober  truth,  have  you  really  got  be- 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  143 

yond  the  pictures  in  an  examination  of  this  work,  great  as  it  is 
and  splendidly  as  it  has  been  brought  out  ?  I  very  much  question 
if  you  have.  At  any  rate,  1  hold  you  to  the  comparison  even  with 
this  voyage,  and  deny  that  from  its  pages  any  warrant  can  be  de- 
rived for  a  reduction  of  the  naval  force  or  number  of  scientific 
observers  in  the  exploring  expedition.  You  have  the  work  before 
you,  so  have  I ;  come,  then,  to  the  comparison.  This  voyage 
was  made  in  the  years  1S26,  '7,  '8,  '9,  in  the  corvette  Astrolabe, 
Captain  D'Urville,  with  eighty  persons,  all  told.  What  were  its 
objects  ?  ^rhey  are  set  forth  in  the  following  extract  from  the  in- 
structions of  the  minister  of  marine,  the  French  secretary  of  the 
navy,  to  the  commander. 

"  The  king,  in  confiding  to  you  the  command  of  the  corvette 
Astrolabe,  has  wished  to  put  you  in  a  situation  to  explore  some 
of  the  principal  groups  of  islands  in  the  Pacific,  which  the  Co- 
quille  only  passed  by  hastily,  and  to  give  you  the  means  of  aug- 
menting, as  much  as  possible,  the  mass  of  scientific  documents 
obtained  by  this  vessel  in  the  years  1822,  '3,  '4. 

"  His  majesty  knows  that  you  contributed  much  to  the  success 
of  this  expedition,  in  which  you  seconded  Captain  Duperrey. 
Being  called  to  direct  in  chief  the  present  one,  you  will  realize, 
wilhout  doubt,  all  the  hopes  which  have  originated  the  project; 
and  the  French  navy  will  have  to  felicitate  itself  once  more  upon 
the  services  which  it  renders  to  the  sciences  in  associalinor  itself 

o 

to  the  labours  of  those  who  profess  them,  and  in  submitting  to 
their  mediations  materials  collected  with  as  much  skill  as  zeal  in 
all  parts  of  the  globe." 

These  instructions  point  out  the  purposes  of  this  voyage. 
They  were  to  follow,  measurably,  in  the  track  of  the  Coquille, 
and,  at  various  points  in  the  Pacific,  to  make  more  minute  obser- 
vations where  the  other  vessels  had  passed  l)v  haslilv.  The  mod- 
els of  the  preceding  enterprises  had  been  followed  in  preparing 
this ;  while,  with  the  exception  of  the  attention  paid  to  pendulum 
observations  by  the  former  ones,  their  general  objects  were  pre- 
cisely the  same ;  and  neither  furnished  any  precedent  for  the 
strength  which  the  great  interests  of  this  country  require  should 
be  invested  in  our  own  expedition  to  those  seas.  Indeed,  the 
most  that  can  be  said  in  favour  of  this  voyage,  constituted  as  it 
was,  may  not  be  too  high  praise  ;  though  I  am  inclined  to  be- 


144  LE'JTIilli    OF     A    CrriZE.\. 

lieve  that  nearly  as  much,  aflcr  all,  was  done  in  Paris  lo  make  it 
pre-eminent  in  the  way  of  embellishments,  and  in  the  commenda- 
ble style  in  which  the  French  government  got  out  the  work,  as 
was  effected  by  D'Urville  in  the  South  Seas  ;  nevertheless,  the 
contributions  lo  science  were  great,  and  I  doubt  if  the  French 
people  would  be  willing  to  resign  the  honour  conferred  upon 
ihem  by  that  voyage  alone  for  a  million  and  a  half  of  dollars  !  and 
yet  the  citizens  of  France  think  as  much  of  money  as  we  do. 
Let  us,  however,  go  somewhat  more  into  detail,  as  I  feel  that  1 
have  you  now  on  the  last  plank,  and  intend  to  remove  even  that 
from  beneath  you.  What  were  the  contributions  made  to  zoology 
by  the  naturalists  of  the  Astrolabe?  Rich,  you  will  answer. 
Granted.  But  by  whom  were  they  made  ?  By  any  one  ap- 
pointed by  the  government?  No,  sir,  the  voyage  would  have 
fallen  below  mediocrity  in  this  important  and  leading  division 
of  science  had  it  not  been  for  M.  Quoy,  a  volunteer  in  the  expe- 
dition. In  geology,  too,  the  onl)'  collections  were  made  by  the 
same  gentleman.  Would  you  follow  this  example  ?  Would  you 
have  a  great  nation,  when  making  its  advent  in  maritime  discovery, 
depend  on  adventitious  aid  ?     Would  you  urge  this  as  a  model  ? 

Let  us  next  take  a  glance  at  this  model  of  models  in  its  other 
departments  of  science,  and  see  what  there  is  to  be  found  lo  war- 
rant your  proposed  derangements  in  the  scientific  portion  of  the 
exploring  expedition.  The  meteorological  researches  consisted 
of  observations  on  the  thermometer  six  limes  a  day,  barometer 
once  a  day,  on  the  direction  and  force  of  winds,  and  general  re- 
marks on  the  direction  and  speed  of  currents.  The  experiments 
of  Freycinet  and  Duperrey  were  on  a  far  more  extensive  scale. 
The  only  marine  thermometer  taken  out  by  D'Urville  was  broken 
fifteen  ujonths  after  the  commencement  of  the  voyage,  and,  conse- 
quently, the  column  recording  the  varieties  of  pressure  is,  after 
this  date,  a  blank.  Don't  you  lliink  this  part  of  the  model  would 
have  been  nearer  perfection  if  the  French  secretary  of  the  navy 
had  furnished,  at  least,  duplicates  of  instruments  so  liable  to 
fracture  ? 

Two  of  the  four  clironometers  taken  out  by  Captain  D'Urville 
were  rendered  useless,  one  by  being  carelessly  wound  up,  the 
other  by  firing;  a  salute.  The  remaining  pair  had  very  variable 
daily  rates,  and  both  ran  down  at  Tonga  Tabou.     Do  you  not 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  145 

feel  half  convinced  that  this  part  of  the  model  might  be  tinkered 
1  little  for  the  better  ? 

Observations  on  the  magnetic  dip  present  rather  a  meager 
record.  They  were  by  no  means  equal  to  those  made  during 
the  two  preceding  French  voyages,  or  by  the  late  English  expe- 
ditions to  the  Arctic  Sea.  Indeed,  all  the  needles  appear  to  have 
been  spoiled  during  the  voyage,  and  great  discordances  appear 
among  the  results  given  by  different  needles  at  the  same  locality ; 
they  were  only  used,  however,  at  sixteen  places  on  shore.  By 
the  *'  sweet  flowers  of  Suc-a-Sunny,"*  you  are  ready  to  exclaim, 
"  what  ignorance,  what  presumption  is  this  ?  Attempt  to  criticise 
this  great  work,  on  which  I  have  preached  so  much  to  members 
of  Congress,  to  the  president,  to  everybody  who  would  listen  to 
me  !"  Be  patient,  sir.  If  your  zeal  to  defeat  or  cripple  the  ex- 
ploring expedition  has  placed  you  in  an  untenable  position,  the  in- 
discretion is  your  own,  not  mine ;  and  you  must  abide  the  issue. 
Yes,  sir,  prepare  for  utter  confusion  and  defeat,  when  I  tell  you 
that  all  and  much  more  than  I  have  said  of  your  venerated  model 
is  sustained  by  the  opinion  of  the  great  Arago,  the  imbodied 
soul  of  the  science  of  Europe  ;  and  if  it  were  not,  the  committee 
of  the  Naval  Lyceum  in  their  report  have  endorsed  his  wonderful 
attainments,  and  fixed  for  you  the  standard  of  his  authority. 

"  In  1829,  immediately  after  the  return  of  the  Astrolabe,"  says 
Arago,  in  his  critique,  "  Captain  D'Urville  presented  to  the  Acad- 
emy of  Sciences  a  series  of  works  of  every  kind  executed  during 
the  long  voyage  of  that  vessel.  Before  the  same  body  he  read 
his  memoirs,  and  solicited  its  judgment ;  and  a  commission  was 
accordingly  appointed.  M.  Rossel  made  a  favourable  report  on 
the  hydrographical  part  of  the  voyage,  designating  the  officers 
who  executed  the  work.  On  the  26 ih  of  August,  George  Cuviex 
paid  a  just  compliment  to  the  ability  and  zeal  of  the  zoologists 
of  the  Astrolabe,  M.  Quoy,  the  volunteer,  and  his  assistant,  Gay- 
mard."  M.  D'Urville  is  complimented  in  the  report  as  having 
"  personally  collected  a  part  of  the  insects  of  the  collection  de- 
posited in  the  garden  of  plants." 

On  the  16th  of  November  a  tribute  of  praise  was  again  award- 
ed to  M.  Quoy  and  his  assistant,  M.  Gaymard,  for  the  geological 
specimens  they  had  brought  home  ;   and,  finally,  the  venerable 
•  Name  of  the  honourable  secretary's  country  residence  in  New-Jersey. 

T 


146  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN, 

Des  Fontaines  spoke  flatteringly  of  the  botanical  collections  of 
M.  Lesson.  It  was,  indeed,  flattery  to  speak  highly  of  the  botan- 
ical department  of  the  Astrolabe,  as  we  shall  see  anon.  Arago 
was  charged  by  the  academy  with  the  examination  of  the  physical 
observations.  He  did  not  wish,  he  said,  to  confine  himself  to  a 
simple  inventory.  As  in  the  voyages  of  Freycinet  and  Duperrey, 
he  attempted  to  discover  the  results  with  which  science  would  be 
enriched.  But  here  "disappointment  followed  disappointment." 
Discouraged  "  by  the  poverty  of  scientific  observations  recorded 
in  the  ofiicial  registers,"  he  examined  the  nautical  journals.  Here, 
again,  he  was  disappointed ;  while  those  of  the  former  navigators 
had  been  so  varied,  so  rich,  so  interesting.  The  farther  he  ad- 
vanced in  his  investigations,  the  more  forcibly  was  he  impressed 
with  the  idea  that  the  commander  of  the  Astrolabe  had  voyaged 
for  three  years  "  with  his  eyes  and  ears  shut."  "  Had  he"  (D'Ur- 
ville)  "  seen,"  Arago  inquired,  "  the  zodiacal  light  ?  During  the 
fine  nights  of  the  tropics,  had  he  ascertained  its  dimensions,  its 
limits,  its  exact  position  ?  He  had  turned,  one  after  another,  all 
the  pages  of  the  register  of  M.  D'Urville,  and  was  not  able  to 
find  one  remote  allusion  t^o  this  remarkable  phenomenon."  Not 
yet  disheartened,  the  transparency  of  the  ocean,  the  changes  of 
colour  produced  by  the  winds,  according  to  their  force  and  direc- 
tion, the  sudden  variations  of  temperature,  upon  which  Franklin 
and  Williams  had  already  published  the  commencement  of  a  work 
so  encouraging  to  the  marine ;  the  Aurora  Australis ;  each  of 
these  curious  phenomena,  the  exact  determination  of  which  has 
been  sought  with  such  ardour  by  the  students  of  physical  science, 
was,  Arago  says,  in  succession  the  object  of  his  laborious  research  ; 
but  in  every  case  he  arrived  at  the  last  page  without  having  found 
a  word  upon  the  subject. 

At  the  frequent  solicitations  of  Captain  D'Urville  and  M.  Tas- 
teau,  the  editor  of  the  voyage,  Arago  was  prevailed  upon,  as  he 
says,  "  by  the  desire  of  obliging  more  than  anything  else,"  to  make 
out  a  digest.  He  had  found  here  and  there  in  the  MSS.  obser- 
vations on  the  temperature  of  the  sea,  which,  at  that  time,  he  sup- 
posed were  correct;  but  many  of  these  experiments  he  subse- 
quently found  "  were  complete  failures,"  though  even  these  were 
not  without  their  use  for  future  observers.  It  was  especially 
desirable  to  determine  if  submarine  currents,  directed  from  the 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  147 

poles  towards  the  tropics,  were  not  the  cause  of  the  phenomena 
loticed.  It  seemed  probable  that  this  question  might  be  solved 
by  thermometrical  observations  made  for  that  purpose.  These 
were  made  on  board  the  Astrolabe,  but  were  they  conducted  with 
sufficient  exactnes-s  ?  Arago  says  lie  "  does  not  hesitate  to  answer  in 
the  negative,"  and  then  proceeds  to  point  out  the  errors  committed. 
Indeed,  after  a  long  and  minute  analysis  of  the  results  of  the  voy- 
age, he  remarks,  "it  is  now  certain  that,  in  cases  of  the  most  sim- 
ple observations  in  the  world,  M.  D'Urville  has  escaped  none  of 
the  errors  he  could  possibly  commit." 

Now,  sir,  I  can  readily  imagine  the  surprise  created  in  your 
mind  at  what  Arago  has  said  of  the  results  of  this  voyage,  for  a 
full  account  of  which  I  refer  you  to  a  late  number  of  the  "  Review 
of  the  19th  Century."  How  is  this  unsatisfactory  issue  to  be  ac- 
counted for?  I  will  tell  you  in  one  line.  Among  the  persons 
engaged  in  scientific  observations  on  board  the  Astrolabe  I  find 
"  M.  D'Urville  took  charge  of  botany,  entomology,  meteorology, 
geography,  historiography." 

You  have  the  solution,  sir.  D'Urville  undertook  too  much,  and 
failed  ;  and  so  will  this  expedition  fail  if  you  are  permitted  to  cut 
it  down  and  reduce  its  naval  and  scientific  corps.  Human  science 
is  too  vast  and  too  minute  at  the  present  day  to  allow  of  any  man 
taking  so  wide  a  range  as  that  referred  to. 

In  the  volume  of  the  voyage  of  the  Astrolabe  devoted  to  hy- 
drography, one  eighteenth  relates  to  the  Fiji  Islands.  The  space 
occupied  in  the  work  by  observations  on  this  archipelago  is  very 
considerable  ;  on  which  account  I  select  that  portion  for  "compar- 
ison ;"  and  here  you  will  find  your  beau  ideal  of  voyages  is  a  model 
only  to  be  avoided.  On  the  25th  of  May  Captain  D'Urville  came 
in  sight  of  the  Fiji  Islands,  and  passed  by  Ong-Hea  Riki.  He 
was  eighteen  days  in  making  his  way  through  this  group,  during 
which  time  he  never  anchored,  nor  did  he  make  a  survey  of  a 
single  harbour.  He  did  not  even  send  a  boat  on  shore,  except  at 
one  place,  and  then  only  for  the  purpose  of  getting  off  an  anchor 
left  there  by  som.e  former  vessel ;  in  allusion  to  which  circum- 
stance he  remarks  that  "  the  natives  appeared  more  disposed  to 
retain  the  boat  than  to  give  up  the  anchor."  When  D'Urville  ap- 
proached a  cluster  of  islands,  if  the  weather  were  clear,  he  first 
made  up  his  mind  by  sight  alone  whether  they  were  five  or  thirty 


148  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

miles  distant,  more  or  less,  and  then,  by  the  old  method  of  taking 
their  bearings  by  compass,  made  out  their  latitudes  and  longitudes 
with  wonderful  accuracy,  not  only  in  degrees,  but  even  down  to 
minutes  and  seconds.  Was  the  day  hazy,  he  went  through  the 
same  process  of  guessing  at  his  data,  and  then  drawing  his  con- 
clusions with  mathematical  precision.  Fortunately,  the  natives 
boarded  him  and  gave  him  the  names  of  the  islands.  In  his 
"  Tableau  des  Positions,^^  one  hundred  and  ten  islands  of  the  two 
hundred  which  this  group,  in  all  probability,  contains,  are  ihus 
conspicuously  laid  down  ;  although  the  whole  time,  in  daylight, 
consumed  in  making  these  mighty  acquisitions  to  hydrographical 
knowledge  gives"  only  an  average  of  two  hours  for  the  examina- 
tion of  each  member  of  the  cluster  !  Wonderful  results  !  Beau- 
tiful model  for  the  exploring  expedition.  Sir,  this  group,  with  all 
its  riches  in  natural  history,  still  remains  to  be  examined.  The 
plan  of  D'Urville's  voyage,  and  the  force  at  his  disposal,  were  alike 
unsuited  to  the  task ;  and  what  he  accomplished,  for  all  that  it  is 
worth  to  navigation,  had  almost  as  well  remained  undone.  Three 
months  is  the  shortest  period  that  the  expedition,  wiih  all  its  force, 
should  remain  in  this  archipelago  ! 

As  regards  botany,  your  favourite  science,  tlie  researches  made 
during  the  voyages  of  the  Astrolabe  were,  in  like  manner,  exceed- 
ingly superficial.  The  only  collections  worthy  of  notice  at  all 
were  those  made  at  New-Zealand  and  Ascension  ;  and  even  at 
those  places  few  new  plants  were  discovered.  Three  hundred 
and  twenty  species  belonging  to  New-Zealand  were  known  pre- 
vious to  D'Urville's  visit  there  ;  and  on  that  occasion  only  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety  species  were  obtained,  three  tenths  of  which  had 
been  seen  and  described  in  the  voyages  of  Captain  Cook  by  Sir 
Joseph  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  Sparmann,  and  the  Forsters,  and  in 
those  of  Vancouver,  by  Mr.  Menzies. 

M.  Achille  Richard,  wiio  prepared  the  botany  of  the  voyage  for 
publication,  could  not  have  had  a  very  exalted  opinion  of  the  la- 
bours of  D'Urville  and  M.  Lesson  in  this  department,  for  he  has 
not  confined  himself  to  their  collection,  but  has  compiled  a  general 
Flora  of  New-Zealand,  by  copying  the  description  of  all  the  plants 
found  there,  from  Cook's  first  voyage  to  the  present  time.  In  this 
branch,  as  in  most  others,  your  vaunted  model  was  far  inferior  to 
the  voyages  of  Freycinet  and  Diiperrey  ;  indeed,  the  relative  value 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  ^49 

and  importance  of  the  three  expeditions,  so  far  as  botany  is  con- 
cerned, are  in  the  order  of  their  priority  in  date.  By  far  the  most 
extensive  and  valuable  collections  were  made  in  the  earliest,  that 
of  Captain  Freycinet ;  Duperrey's  is  next  in  rank  ;  while  the  latest 
(that  of  D'Urville  in  the  Astrolabe)  follows  longo  intervallo,  both 
as  to  the  extent  and  interest  of  the  specimens. 

But  although  the  botanical  department  of  the  latter  expedition 
was  more  imperfectly  filled  than  in  either  of  the  two  which  im- 
mediately preceded  it,  do  not  imagine  that  they  were  by  any  means 
sans  reproche  in  this  division.  In  each  instance  a  capital  error 
was  committed  in  not  sending  out  a  botanical  draughtsman.  This 
deficiency  was,  doubtless,  seriously  felt  by  M.  Gaudichard,  the  in- 
defatigable botanist  who  accompanied  Freycinet,  as  he  was  par- 
ticularly interested  in  vegetable  anatomy  and  physiology,  and  must 
have  frequently  desired  magnified  drawings  and  sketches  of  dis- 
sections, (fee,  which  could  only  be  made  from  the  living  plants. 
In  none  of  these  expeditions  were  any  researches  of  consequence 
made  beyond  the  coasts  of  the  islands  visited  ;  while  at  son>e 
places  (as  Admiralty  Island,  the  Carolines,  and  others),  touched  at 
by  Freycinet,  the  time  allowed  for  observation  was  so  limited  that 
M.  Gaudichard  did  not  even  land  ;  but  was  obliged  to  content  him- 
self with  what  he  could  obtain  from  the  water.  From  the  mate- 
rials collected,  however,  he  prepared  a  digest  of  the  botany  of  the 
voyage,  from  which  he  deservedly  gained  high  reputation  ;  and 
this  is  the  only  instance  in  the  three  enterprises  where  the  per- 
son who  collected  the  plants  arranged  and  described  them  on  his 
return.  So  far  the  model  is  a  good  one.  Those  who  collect 
should  be  able  to  describe. 

I  trust,  sir,  you  are  now  satisfied  that  a  comparison  of  the  or- 
ganization, naval  and  scientific,  of  the  "exploring  expedition," 
with  "  the  most  successful  expeditions  of  like  character  heretofore 
sent  out  by  the  maritime  powers  of  Europe,"  will  afford  no  war- 
rant for  your  efforts  at  reduction.  On  the  contrary,  were  it  possi- 
ble for  you  to  take  the  enlarged  and  practical  views  of  a  statesman, 
as  regards  this  subject,  you  would  see  the  obvious  propriety  of  in- 
creasing the  number  of  small  vessels,  which  additional  force  could 
be  so  advantageously  employed  in  useful  nautical  labours,  under 
the  general  direction  and  protection  of  the  flagship,  at  an  expense 
so  trifling  to  the  government.     One  would  think,  indeed,  that  a 


150  LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN. 

true  "  Friend  to  the  Navy,"  occupying  your  station,  would  be  anx- 
ious to  employ  as  large  a  number  of  officers  on  a  service  so  well 
calculated  to  give  them  high  attainments  as  well  as  distinction  in 
their  profession ;  to  make  them  personally  acquainted  with  seas 
where  our  future  seafighls  must  take  place ;  so  that  where  they 
should  command  they  could  themselves  be  pilots  !  You  would 
also  perceive  that  the  results  of  the  expedition  might  lead  to  the 
formation  of  a  hydrographical  bureau  in  your  department ;  in  a 
word,  that  it  would  be  of  more  importance  to  the  navy  than  the 
service  of  all  the  force  in  all  other  squadrons  during  the  same  pe- 
riod ! 

1  must  now,  sir,  take  leave  of  you,  and,  in  doing  so,  would  ap- 
peal, not  to  your  candour,  but  to  public  justice,  if  I  have  not  fairly 
met  and  completely  overthrown  your  objections,  stated  and  implied, 
to  the  magnitude  of  the  scale  upon  which  this  expedition  is  orga- 
nized ?  Have  I  not  shown  that  the  naval  force  authorized  and 
the  scientific  corps  engaged  are  barely  adequate  to  the  vast  sphere 
of  action  to  be  embraced,  the  multifarious  objects  to  be  accom- 
plished, and  the  mighty  interests  involved  ?  Have  I  not  shown 
that  your  outcry  about  economy  was  a  mere  cloak  for  your  enmi- 
ty ;  and  that  the  remuneration  of  the  country  for  its  outlay  would 
be  almost  in  geometric  ratio  with  its  degrees  of  efficiency  ? 
Have  I  not  shown  that  the  almost  limitless  field  for  those  hydro- 
graphical  surveys  so  necessary  for  the  protection  of  our  wide- 
spread commercial  interests  in  the  two  Pacifies  could  not  be  ex- 
amined with  the  care  which  humanity  as  well  as  good  policy  de- 
mands, by  an  enterprise  of  inferior  capacity  ?  Have  I  not  fairly 
met  the  comparisons  you  have  invited,  even  with  the  climax  of 
your  models,  the  voyage  of  the  Astrolabe,  which  you  have  culled 
par  excellence  from  all  the  rest,  and  held  up  exultingly  as  a  weap- 
on of  attack,  a  shield  of  defence,  a  precedent  and  a  pattern  ?  This 
voyage  is  in  one  respect,  I  own,  worthy  of  all  praise  as  well  as 
of  imitation  ;  I  refer  to  the  magnificent  style  in  which  the  whole 
work  has  been  brought  out !  Have  I  not  shown  that,  according 
to  your  reasoning,  the  Pacific  squadron  should  be  broken  up  or 
materially  reduced  ?  You  have  on  that  station  a  ship  of  tlie  line, 
two  sloops,  and  two  schooners.  On  an  average,  half  of  this  force 
is  constantly  at  anchor  in  the  bay  of  Callao,  the  principal  port  of 
Peru ;  while  the  exports  from  the  ITnitcd  States  to  that  republic, 


LETTERS    OF    A    CITIZEN.  151 

for  the  year  ending  September,  1834,  the  latest  returns  within  my 
reach,  amounted  only  to  fifty-eight  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
sixty-three  dollars  ;  the  price  of  a  single  whale-ship. 

Now  in  this  account,  as  you  have  done  with  reference  to  the 
expedition,  first  put  down  the  cost  of  the  vessels,  then  calculate 
and  add  the  amount  necessary  to  the  mission  for  three  years,  and 
behold  what  an  enormous  sum  !  The  whole  of  our  trade  protected 
by  our  Pacific  squadron  has  not  amounted,  since  1830,  to  a  mil- 
lion of  dollars  per  annum  ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  unsettled  state 
of  the  countries  with  which  this  traffic  is  carried  on,  they  have  no 
force  to  prevent  a  sloop-of-war  and  two  schooners  from  exacting 
respect  to  our  flag.  What  an  argument  here  for  reduction  !  But 
no  statesman  reasons  thus.  It  is  the  settled  policy  of  the  country 
to  have  constantly  available  an  efficient  naval  force.  The  explo- 
ring vessels  should  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  that  force ;  and  the 
only  point  at  issue  ought  to  be,  whether  this  great  nation  could 
afford  the  outfits,  and  forty-three  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  the 
salaries  of  the  civil  corps  ! 

Having  now,  as  I  feel,  discharged  my  duty,  it  would  give  me 
pleasure  to  anticipate  that,  like  a  generous  antagonist  foiled  in  a 
hard  encounter,  you  will  yield  with  a  good  grace,  as  yield  I  think 
you  must !  ! !  Sorry  I  am  to  say,  however,  that  I  can  find  no  'pre- 
cedent on  which  to  base  so  pleasing  a  supposition.  But  where 
can  you  take  a  fresh  stand  ?  Let  me  hope  in  charity  that  your 
dernier  resort,  after  the  choice  of  a  new  commander,  will  not  be 
once  more  to  intrench  yourself  in  inveterate  obstinacy,  and  from 
behind  that  impregnable  barrier  to  issue  your  dicta  against  sci- 
ence, humanity,  commercial  interests,  and  national  honour ! 
Very  respectfully, 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  your  fellow 

CITIZEN. 

New- York,  January  4,  1838. 


THE    END. 


udl^i 


